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LUCILL 


THE   READING    OF   THE   BIBLE 


BY   ADOLPHE  MONOD.  D.  D. 


TRANSLATED    FROM    THE    FRENCH. 


"  Blessed  is  the  man  that  walketh  not  in  the  counsel  of  the  ungodly,  nor 
■tandeth  in  the  way  of  sinners,  nor  sitteth  in  the  seat  of  the  scornful.  But 
his  delight  is  in  the  law  of  the  Lord  ;  and  in  his  law  doth  he  meditate  day 
and  night."— Psalm  i.  1,  2. 


THIRD     EDITION 


NEW   YORK: 

ROBERT  CARTER  &    BROTHERS, 

No.    285    BROADWAY. 

1851. 


PREFACE, 

BY    THE    TRANSLATOR. 


The  work  of  which  a  translation  is  here  presented 
to  the  English  reader,  has  recently  been  published  in 
France,  where  the  whole  of  the  first  impression  was 
sold  in  a  very  short  period.  It  is  the  production  of  a 
Protestant  minister  of  deep  piety,  of  pre-eminent 
talents,  and  of  ardent  zeal  in  the  cause  of  Christianity. 
His  design  is  to  prove,  that  the  Holy  Scriptures  are 
inspired  of  God,  and  are,  consequently,  of  divine  au- 
thority ;  and  that  it  is  at  once  the  privilege  and  duty 
of  all  people  to  read  them  with  a  reference  to  their 
personal  salvation.  The  volume  is  therefore,  on  the 
one  hand,  an  antidote  to  Infidelity  which  regards  the 
Bible  as  a  merely  human  composition,  and  to  Popery, 
on  the  other,  which  would  restrict  the  reading  of  the 
sacred  books.  The  manner  in  winch  the  author  has 
executed  his  task  is  worthy  of  high  praise.  His  rea- 
soning is  beautifully  simple,  lucid,  and  strong  ;  and  his 
spirit,  kind,  benevolent,  serious,  and  firm.  He  speaks 
with  authority,  for  he  thoroughly  understands  his  sub- 
ject ;  and  with  tender  affection,  for  his  heart  yearns 
over  those  who  obstinately  reject  the  word  of  God, 
and  who  are  passing  to  their  final  account  ignorant  of 
its  blessed  truths. 


4  PREFACE. 

The  work  is  especially  adapted  to  France,  where  a 

blind  infidelity  scoffs  at  the  Bible,  considered  as  a  rev- 
elation from  God ;  where  the  R Lsh  priesthood  in- 
veigh against  the  genera]  reading  of  that  holy  volume  ; 
and  where  the  agents  of  Bible  Societies  are  laboring 
in  the  length  and  breadth  of  the  land,  with  a  most 
laudable  assiduity,  to  press  it  upon  the  attention  of  all 
classes  of  the  community,  offering  it  at  moderate  prices 
from  door  to  door.  It  is  hoped  that  this  admirable 
publication  may  be  of  considerable  use  in  this  coun- 
try, where  infidelity  and  Romanism  are  unhappily  too 
prevalent.  Should  it  contribute,  in  any  degree,  to  ar- 
rest the  progress  of  these  kindred  evils,  and  encour- 
age the  reading  of  that  inspired  book,  which  an  old 
writer  has  justly  called  "  the  great  charter  of  the 
world's  blessedness,"  the  author  and  translator  will 
consider  themselves  rewarded.  It  is  committed  to  the 
press  with  earnest  prayers  for  the  divine  blessing. 


LUCILLA; 

OR, 

THE   READING    OF   THE   BIBLE. 


INTRODUCTION. 
LETTER  I. 

LUCILLA  TO  THE  ABBE  FAVIEN. 

Sir  :  You  will,  perhaps,  be  surprised  to  receive  a 
letter  from  me.  You  will  be  still  more  so,  when  you 
have  read  its  contents.  But  you  are  the  only  person 
in  the  world  to  whom  I  dare  open  my  mind,  on  a  sub- 
ject by  which  it  has  been  much  engrossed  for  the  last 
few  weeks. 

For  the  first  time  in  my  life,  I  begin  to  perceive 
that  I  have  no  religion,  and  I  wish  that  I  had  one. 
Like  everybody  else,  or  at  least  like  every  woman, 
I  have  had  moments  of  religious  excitement ;  espe- 
cially about  the  age  of  fifteen,  when  I  felt  the  neces- 
sity of  giving  my  heart  to  God.  These  were,  how- 
ever, but  transient  impressions.  Soon  the  pleasures 
of  the  world,  and  the  reception  I  met  with  in  society  ; 
then  the  attachment  I  felt  for  Mr.  Lassalle  ;  and,  lastly, 
the  duties  connected  with  my  position  in  life — my 
husband — the  cares  of  my  household — my  children, 
— have  absorbed  all  my  attention  ;  and  if  the  habit  I 
have  acquired,  of  attending  mass  with  my  family,  has 
1* 


6  INTRODUCTION. 

reminded  me  from  time  to  time  that  there  is  a  God,  I 
must  confess  that  I  have  rarely  thought  of  him  when 
not  at  church.  My  husband,  as  you  know,  takes 
little  interest  in  my  religious  convictions,  [f  1  have 
been  indifferent,  he  is,  1  fear,  altogether  an  infidel. 

Probably  you  are  not  aware  that  I  am  a  Protestant 
by  birth.  Hardly,  indeed,  can  I  remember  the  fact. 
My  mother  died  at  the  time  of  my  birth,  and  my 
father  before  I  had  completed  my  twelfth  year.  At 
the  period  of  my  marriage,  I  had  none  but  very  dis- 
tant relations.  Without  resistance,  without  having 
come  to  any  decision  on  the  subject,  I  complied 
with  the  religious  observances  of  the  family  of 
which  I  then  became  a  member  ;  and  my  children  are 
brought  up  in  the  practice  of  the  same  rites.  But, 
with  shame  I  confess  it,  I  have  never  communicated 
in  either  the  one  church  or  the  other  ;  and  I  am  forty- 
one  years  of  age. 

A  circumstance,  which  you  will,  perhaps,  consider 
trivial,  first  directed  my  attention  to  these  things.  On 
All  Saints'  Day.  the  weather  being  delightful,  we 
went  out  for  a  walk,  and  passed  the  walls  of  a  neigh- 
boring cemetery.  Our  conversation  for  a  moment 
lost  its  general  frivolity,  and  for  about  five  minutes 
we  spoke  of  death  and  the  grave.  This  question 
arose  in  my  mind  :  "  If  1  die,  where  shall  I  be  in- 
terred ?  A  Protestant  by  birth,  a  Catholic  by  posi- 
tion, but,  in  reality,  having  no  fixed  belief,  and  hav- 
ing communicated  with  neither,  to  which  of  these 
two  churches  will  my  body  belong  ?" 

Think  of  me  as  you  will,  sir,  but  this  doubt  tor- 
mented me,  pursued  me,  and  gave  rise  to  the  first 
serious  reflections  I  had  ever  made  concerning  re- 
ligion. I  began  by  being  perplexed  about  my  body  ; 
and  I  ended  by  being  anxious  about  my  soul.  In 
short,  I  wished  to  know  what  I  was.  Or  rather,  I 
wished  to  be  a  Catholic  in  reality  :  I  see  no  reason 
that  should  induce  me  to  return  to  the  religion  of  my 


INTRODUCTION.  7 

fathers.  Should  the  two  communions  be  equal  in 
their  claims,  I  should  find  it  easier  to  remain  what  1 
am,  or,  at  least,  what  I  am  believed  to  be.  I  can  be- 
come a  Catholic  without  remark  ;  I  cannot  declare 
myself  a  Protestant  without  exciting  attention.  I  am 
also  desirous  not  to  separate  myself  from  my  husband 
ami  children  ;  and  1  would  do  anything  in  the  world 
rather  than  cause  a  division  in  my  family. 

But  I  have  graver  motives  for  preferring  the  Cath- 
olic religion.  Do  not  consider  this  as  a  compliment ; 
T  should  say  the  same  thing  were  I  addressing  a  Pro- 
testant minister.  Notwithstanding  the  prejudice  of 
birth,  I  must  acknowledge  that  your  religion  has  a 
certain  air  of  authority,  which  the  other  does  not  pos- 
sess. Its  extensiveness,  its  order,  its  antiquity,  even 
the  pomp  of  its  ceremonies,  and  the  beauty  of  its  edi- 
fices, all  conspire  to  attract  me.  I  feel,  nevertheless, 
the  necessity  of  being  better  acquainted  with  a  sys- 
tem which  I  am  desirous  of  embracing ;  and  while 
waiting  for  fresh  light  on  the  subject,  I  have  applied 
myself  to  the  study  of  "  The  Christian's  Manual,"* 
which  I  had  used  at  church,  almost  without  thinking 
of  what  I  read. 

One  thing  especially  struck  me  in  this  book :  I 
mean  the  passages  which  I  there  find  quoted  from 
the  Holy  Scriptures.  Either  I  have  thought  that  the 
Bible  is  the  common  basis  of  the  two  Christian  com- 
munions, and  that  in  reading  it  I  was  not  acting  con- 
trary either  to  the  Catholic  or  Protestant  faith  ;  or 
there  is  something  peculiar  and  indescribable,  which 
stamps  this  part  of  the  "  Manual,"  and  distinguishes 
it  from  every  other  :  but  the  fact  is,  these  fragments 
of  the  Epistles  and  Gospels  have  particularly  at- 
tracted my  attention.  I  have  read  the  rest  of  the 
book  once,  with  pleasure  and  edification  ;  but  I  have 
read  the  Epistles  and  Gospels  over  and  over  again, 
without  ever  being  weary  ;  and  they  leave  upon  my 
*  Manuel  du  Chretiea. 


C  INTRODUCTION*. 

mind  a  double  impression,  for  which  I  can  hardly 
account,  and  which  you,  sir,  must  assist  ine  in  ex- 
plaining. 

On  the  one  hand,  as  I  have  just  told  you,  the 
extracts  from  the  Bible,  which  I  have  read  in  the 
"  Manual,"  appear  to  me  to  bear  such  an  impress  of 
truth,  and  almost  of  Divinity,  as  disposes  me  to  be- 
lieve that  those  who  have  written  them  were  indeed 
inspired  by  God.  But,  on  the  other  hand,  I  must 
confess,  I  see  things  so  strange,  so  opposed  to  all 
our  received  notions,  that  1  have  great  difficulty  in 
persuading  myself  that  they  can  be  true,  and  that  God 
can  thus  have  spoken.  To  be  sincere,  I  have  great 
difficulty  in  persuading  myself  that  God  has  ever 
spoken  to  man  in  any  way.  A  revelation,  prophets, 
miracles — excuse  my  frankness,  but  it  appears  to  me 
hardly  credible  that  such  things  can  be  ;  and  though 
I  am  far  from  approving  all  that  my  husband  says  on 
this  subject,  yet  his  reasonings  sometimes  have  more 
influence  upon  me  than  I  desire.  What  is  your  opin- 
ion, sir  ?  Are  these  marvellous  accounts  really  true  ? 
I  cannot  doubt  that  you  believe  them.  I  know  too  well 
the  uprightness  of  your  character.  A  man  like  your- 
self would  not  yield  without  proofs.  What  are  those 
proofs  ?  Can  you  show  me  such  as  will  completely 
satisfy  my  mind  ?  It  is  not,  as  you  see  too  well,  very 
open  to  conviction  ;  but  neither  is  it  closed  against  the 
light.  However  this  may  be,  I  am  not  one  to  do 
things  by  halves.  Having  once  entered  on  this  ex- 
amination, I  will  go  through  with  it. 

You  will  easily  suspect  why  I  do  not  address  my- 
self to  the  Cure  of  our  parish.  Mr.  Alexis  is  a  wor- 
thy man ;  but  he  is  one  of  those  inexperienced  per- 
sons with  whom  the  churches  are  now  filled,  and  who 
know  nothing  beyond  what  they  have  learned  at  their 
seminary.  I  require  a  man  who  inspires  me  with 
more  confidence,  and  on  whose  discretion  I  can  de- 
pend.    If  you  take  the  trouble  to  answer  me,  do  not 


INTRODUCTION*. 


forgot,  I  beseech  you,  thai  I  am  neither  gifted  with 
Learning,  nor  superior  intelligence.      Speak  to  me 

with  all   plainness,  and   only  supply  mo   with   argu- 
ments suited  to  my  comprehension. 


LETTER  II. 

THE  ABBE  FATTEN  TO  LUCILLA. 

The  "  trouble  of  answering"  you !  Ah,  madam, 
speak  not  thus.  No  letter  could  give  me  greater 
pleasure  than  that  which  you  have  done  me  the  honor 
of  addressing  to  me.  What  can  be  more  satisfactory 
to  a  minister  of  Jesus  Christ,  than  to  meet  with  a 
person  who  seeks  after  truth  with  as  much  sincerity 
as  you  do  ?  And  what  occupation  could  be  more  con- 
formable, both  to  my  taste  and  duty,  than  to  assist  you 
in  this  research,  according  to  my  feeble  ability,  but 
with  devoted  ardor  ? 

God  has  begun  to  enlighten  you :  that  he  will  finish 
his  work,  you  need  not  doubt.  It  is  true,  you  have 
adopted  a  different  course  from  that  pursued  by  the 
faithful  in  general.  They  usually  begin  by  believing 
in  the  church ;  and  then,  on  the  faith  of  the  church, 
they  believe  in  the  Holy  Scriptures,  whose  Divine 
inspiration  the  church  guaranties.  But  you,  on  the 
contrary,  seem  desirous  to  go  from  the  Bible  to  the 
church.  This  could  not  fail  to  cause  me  some  soli- 
citude, were  I  not  convinced  that  you  will  speedily 
return  to  the  accustomed  path,  which  is,  without  dis- 
pute, the  safest  and  the  most  simple.  You  will  soon 
be  led  to  acknowledge,  madam,  that  there  is  no  well- 
grounded  peace,  but  for  him  who  refers  to  the  church, 
as  the  child  to  its  mother,  the  care  of  leading  him  to 
God.  Prayer,  experience,  the  study  of  your  own 
heart,  even  the  difficulties  which  you  have   already 


10  INTRODUCTION. 

met  with,  will  make  you  feel  this  much  better  than 
all  my  warnings  can  do,  and  will  eradicate  1'rom  your 
mind  this  residue  of  Protestantism,  which  has  led 
you  to  reverse  the  order  of  conversion. 

You  desire  that  I  should  lay  before  you  the  proofs 
which  demonstrate  the  Divine  origin  of  our  holy  re- 
ligion. This  would  be  very  easy,  or  rather  the  task 
would  be  superfluous,  if  you  had  followed  the  course 
which  I  have  just  explained,  and  had,  in  the  first  in- 
stance, learned  to  submit  your  judgment  in  all  things 
to  the  decision  of  the  church.  The  Bible  is  a  book 
inspired  by  God  ;  for  thus  teaches  the  church,  which 
cannot  mislead  us.  But  in  your  present  state,  I  see 
too  well,  that  this  reply  will  not  satisfy  you.  I  will 
not  therefore  refuse  to  give  you  one  more  conforma- 
ble to  your  wishes,  in  order  that  my  silence  may  af- 
ford no  ground  for  suspicion.  On  no  account  would 
I  give  any  cause  of  scandal  to  your  dawning  faith. 

But,  madam,  the  subject  on  which  you  consult  me 
is  too  comprehensive  for  a  letter.  I  shall  be  better 
able  to  explain  myself  in  a  conversation,  when  you 
can  at  once  propose  your  doubts  and  difficulties.  I 
intend,  next  week,  to  visit  *  *  *.  I  shall  not  have 
time  to  pause  on  my  journey  there  ;  but  on  my  return 
I  shall  have  the  honor  of  spending  a  short  time  at  the 
castle  ;  and  we  can  then  deliberately  converse  on  a 
subject  which  so  deeply  and  so  justly  excites  your 
interest. 


PART  I. 

THE    INSPIRATION   OF    THE   BIBLE. 

CONVERSATION  I. 

The  Abbe. — I  am  now  quite  ready,  madam,  to  re- 
deem my  promise. 

Lucilla. — You  are  indeed  welcome,  my  dear  sir. 
I  am  all  impatience  to  hear  you. 

Mr.  de  Lassallc. — You  wish  to  have  a  private  in- 
terview, I  perceive.     I  will  withdraw. 

Lucilla. — You  will  not  interrupt  us,  my  dear.  You 
know  that  the  subject  of  religion  has  deeply  interest- 
ed me  of  late.  The  Abbe,  whom  I  have  consulted, 
has  kindly  come  to  clear  up  some  doubts  which  I  had 
proposed  to  him.  You,  my  dear  husband,  do  not 
stand  less  in  need  of  his  assistance  than  I  do.  Let 
us  both  listen  to  him.  Who  knows?  Perhaps  the 
one  whom  we  least  expect  will  be  the  first  to  believe. 

Mr.  de  Lassalle. — My  love,  the  Abbe  knows  how 
much  pleasure  it  always  gives  me  to  hear  him  ;  but 
it  is  better  for  you  that  1  should  retire.  You  know 
my  skeptical  views  ;  and  I  should  not  like  to  be  an 
obstacle  to  your  conviction.  The  fear  of  perplexing 
you  would  embarrass  me  ;  and  I  should  not  express 
myself  with  the  freedom  necessary  for  a  full  discus- 
sion, which  otherwise  I  neither  fear  nor  fly. 

The  Abbe. — Neither,  sir,  does  religion  fear  it.  It 
is  a  favor,  I  ought  to  say  a  justice,  which  it  always 
demands,  but  rarely  obtains.  Remain,  I  beseech  you, 
and  oblige  me  by  expressing  yourself  without  re- 
serve.    After  what  you  have  just  said,  your  presence 


12  INSPIRATION 

is  necessary  to  mo,  in  order  that  I  may  be  able  to 
produce  conviction  in  the  mind  of  Madame  de  Las- 
sallc.  In  vain  shall  I  reply  to  her  objections.  She 
will  always  imagine  that  I  should  not  have  succeeded 
so  easily  if  I  had  argued  with  yon. 

Mr.  de  Lassalle. —  1  will  remain,  since  you  wish  it; 
but  remember,  you  must  answer  for  the  consequences. 
And  do  not  take  offence  if  1  should  express  myself 
with  perfect  freedom. 

The  Abbe. — That  is  just  what  I  require,  and  I  will 
myself  set  the  example.  Politeness  is  very  well  in 
its  place,  but  truth  is  before  everything. 

Mr.  de  Lassalle. — Well,  sir,  that  we  may  under- 
stand one  another,  I  will  at  once  confess  that  I  am  a 
disciple  of  Rousseau.  Voltaire  and  his  school  do  not 
suit  me.  He  has  too  much  levity  to  please  a  man  of 
thought,  and  too  much  malice  to  suit  a  man  of  worth. 
But  my  profession  of  faith  is  that  of  "  Le  Vicaire 
Savoyard."  Here  you  find  gravity,  solidity,  elo- 
quence. It  bears  the  stamp  of  sense  and  truth.  I 
believe  in  God,  and  in  a  future  state  ;  but  in  revela- 
tion I  have  no  great  faith.* 

The  Abbe. — And  I,  sir,  if  I  had  to  choose  a  master, 
would  name  Pascal.  You  will  agree,  I  think,  that 
he  yields  to  no  one  in  true  eloquence  ;  and  for  solidi- 
ty of  argument,  and  for  character,  he  certainly  equals 
Kousseau.  Does  he  not  ?  But  let  us  leave  men,  and 
come  to  reasons.  What,  I  ask,  are  those  which  pre- 
vent you  from  believing  in  a  revelation  ? 

Mr.  de  Lassalle. — I  have  a  hundred  to  one.  The 
first  that  presents  itself  to  my  mind  is  this  :  Every ; 
nation  in  the  world  pretends  to  a  revealed  religion. 
Each  community  has  its  own,  which  it  has  received 
directly  from  God,  and  which  boasts  its  irresistible 
proofs,  its  miracles,  its  prophets.  To  believe  them 
all  is  impossible,  since  they  contradict  and  anathe- 
matize each  other.  But  by  what  rule  shall  I  choose  ? 
*  This  "  profession"  occurs  in  Rousseau's  "Emilius." 


OF    THE    BIBLE.  13 

To  believe  one.  ami  reject  all  the  others! — excuse 
my  frankness;  but  is  it  not  a  manifesl  partiality  1  I 
am  more  consistent.     1  reject  the  whole  of  them. 

llir  Abbe. — Sir,  your  frankness  by  no  means  dis- 
pleases me,  but  1  think  your  logic  is  at  fault.  Let 
there  be  as  many  religious  as  you  please,  which  false- 
ly boast  their  Divine  origin,  this  is  no  proof  that  a 
true  revelation  doc*  not  somewhere  exist.  Because 
there  arc  twenty-three  persons  who,  with  yourself, 
lav  claim  to  the  inheritance  of  your  cousin,  Mr.  de 
Lacombe,  ought  the  judges  thence  to  conclude  that 
there  is  no  legitimate  heir,  and  reject  your  preten- 
sions, with  those  of  the  other  aspirants,  without  ex- 
amination ? 

But  this  is  not  all.  So  many  groundless  preten- 
sions convince  me  that  a  just  claim  does  somewhere 
exist.  Falsehood  is  in  itself  so  futile,  that  it  would 
never  be  able  to  make  any  way,  did  it  not  rest  upon 
some  known  truth,  by  favor  of  which  it  is  established 
in  public  opinion.  These  twenty-three  competitors 
would  never  have  thought  of  producing  their  false 
titles,  had  not  the  just  claim  of  your  family  first  sug- 
gested the  idea  to  them.  No  one  would  have  made 
counterfeit  money,  had  not  the  true  coin  first  existed  ; 
and  charlatans  in  medicine  only  exert  so  much  influ- 
ence over  the  minds  of  people,  because  there  are 
physicians  and  real  remedies.  You  understand  me. 
If  God  had  not  spoken  to  man,  and  if  he  had  not 
spoken  to  him  from  the  beginning,  what  Rousseau 
calls  "  the  fantasy  of  revelations,"  would  never  have 
had  its  rise.  And  thus,  instead  of  concluding  that 
there  is  no  true  revelation,  because  there  are  so  many 
false  ones,  we  should  say,  on  the  contrary,  that  there 
are  so  many  false  ones,  merely  because  there  is  a 
true  revelation.* 

Mr.  de  Lassalle. — This  reflection  is  quite  new  to 
me.     I  could  easily  find  something  to  say  in  reply ; 

*  Pascal's  Thoughts,  second  part,  xvi.  7. 
2 


14  INSPIRATION 

but  I  do  not  think  it  is  requisite.  For,  however  this 
may  be,  it  is  Bufficienl  thai  bo  many  false  revelations 
exist,  to  render  it  impossible  to  discriminate  between 
them.  Were  there  a  true  revelation,  which  I  do 
not  believe,  it  would  be  vain  to  attempt  the  discovery 
of  it  in  the  midst  of  so  much  confusion. 

The  Abbe. — It  would  not  be  so  impracticable  as 
you  imagine.  Much  has  been  said  concerning  false 
religions,  in  order  to  throw  discredit  upon  the  true 
one.  There  are,  however,  but  few  which  seriously 
and  incontestably  assume  a  Divine  origin,  in  the  same 
sense  as  does  the  religion  of  Jesus  Christ.  In  other 
terms,  there  are  few  which  present  us  with  a  book, 
whose  author  is  well  known,  and  which  they  pro- 
nounce inspired.  Yet  it  is  of  these  only  that  we 
must  speak.  It  would  be  an  idle  task  to  allege 
against  us,  the  nameless  claims  of  such  religions  as 
have  no  written  testimony,  and  of  which  anything 
may  be  affirmed,  because  they  are  lost  in  the  night 
of  past  ages.  We  must  have  something  on  which 
to  rest  our  discussion  :  and  probably  you  will  not 
think  of  comparing  the  claims  of  the  Christian  reli- 
gion with  those  of  the  Sybilline  oracles,  or  of  the 
lessons  of  Hermes  Trismegistus. 

Mr.  de  Lassalh. — Agreed  :  let  us  confine  ourselves 
to  those  revelations  which  have  a  written  evidence, 
such  as  you  have  specified.  Yet  even  in  these  we 
shall  find  the  religion  of  Jesus  Christ,  of  Moses,  of 
Mohammed,  of  Zoroaster,  of  Sanchoniathon,  of  Con- 
fucius, of  Brahma,  of  Odin,  etc.,  etc. 

The  Abbe. — That  I  deny.  You  speak  according 
to  the  philosophers  of  the  last  century,  who  were  not 
always  very  scrupulous  in  their  assertions.  With 
the  exception  of  Jesus  Christ,  Moses,  and  Moham- 
med, there  is  nothing  solid  in  all  that  you  have  al- 
leged. All  the  other  books  you  have  just  named  are 
of  doubtful  authenticity,  or  do  not  lay  claim  to  inspi- 
ration.    It  is  one  thing  to  meet  with  scattered  allu- 


OF    THE    BIBLE.  15 

sions  to  Divine  aid,  and  another  to  find  the  repeated 
assurance  of  inspiration,  in  the  full  sense  of  the  word, 

as  is  the  case  in  the  Bible,  and  the  Koran.  You 
speak  of  the  revelation  of  Zoroaster.  But  even  were 
not  tradition  involved  in  so  much  uncertainty,  as  to 
reckon  as  many  as  six  different  Zoroasters ;  and 
Wi  re  not  the  authenticity  of  the  Zendavesta  a  con- 
tested point,  as  is  the  case  ;  still  this  book  is  rather 
a  treatise  of  theology,  philosophy,  and  other  matters, 
than  a  professed  revelation.  The  author  is  less  a 
false  prophet  than  a  legislator  ;  which  is  the  charac- 
ter given  him  by  Mr.  Anquetil  du  Perron :  and  he 
may  be  compared  to  Solon  and  Lycurgus,  who  in- 
voked the  authority  of  the  gods  in  support  of  their 
laws,  without  declaring  themselves  to  be  prophets. 
As  to  Confucius,  he  lays  so  little  claim  to  this  cha- 
racter, that  the  books  of  which  he  is  considered  the 
author  are  especially  distinguished  by  the  fact,  that 
no  trace  of  the  doctrine  of  a  Divinity,  or  of  a  future 
state,  is  to  be  found  in  them.*  Of  Sanchoniathon 
we  have  only  a  fragment ;  and  that  is  more  than 
doubtful.  It  has  passed  through  four  different  hands 
before  it  reaches  us.  It  is  to  be  found  in  the  fathers 
of  the  church,  who  quote  from  Porphyry,  (the  declar- 
ed adversary  of  Christianity,)  who  quotes  from  Phi- 
Ion  of  Biblos,  who  quotes  the  Phoenician  author. 
The  Hindoos,  indeed,  possess  books,  which  they  be- 
lieve to  be  inspired,  but  the  origin  of  these  books  is 
any  thing  but  authentic.  The  most  impenetrable 
mystery  covers  their  origin.  No,  sir  ;  let  us  speak, 
if  you  please,  of  things  that  are  clear  and  tangible. 
I  tind  no  religion,  which  claims  Divine  inspiration 
for  well  known  writers,  except  these  three  :  that  of 
Moses,  of  Jesus  Christ,  and  of  Mohammed.  And  all 
these,  you  will  observe,  spring  from  the  same  source  : 
for  the  religion  of  Jesus  Christ  is  based  on  that  of 
Moses  ;  and  Mohammed  pretends  to  rest  his  claims 

*  Tennemann,  Geschichte  der  Philosophic,  s.  74. 


16 


INSPIRATION" 


upon  those  of  the  two  others.  The  Old  Testament, 
the  most  ancient  book  in  existence,  clearly  proclaims 
its  Divine  inspiration  ;  and  it  is  from  this  common 
head  that  all  accredited  revelations,  whether  true  or 
false,  have  their  rise;  and  among  these  there  are 
only  three  whose  authority  it  is  either  possible  or  ne- 
cessary to  bring  to  the  test. 

Mr.  de  Lassalle. — Yet  it  will  be  requisite,  at  least, 
to  study  and  compare  these  three  religions,  and  these 
three  books.  How  many  men  are  capable  of  such  a 
task? 

The  Abbe. — The  labor  would  not  be  infinite.  But 
it  can  be  confined  within  narrow  limits.  The  Judaic 
and  Christian  religions  hold  together  in  such  a  man- 
ner, that  if  the  second  is  of  God,  the  first,  to  which 
it  bears  testimony,  must  be  of  God  also.  And  the 
Christian  religion  is  so  strongly  opposed  to  Moham- 
medanism, that  if  the  one  is  Divine,  the  other  can- 
not be  so.  Without  proceeding  farther,  here  is  suf- 
ficient proof  of  this  :  If  Jesus  Christ  is  God,  ac- 
cording to  the  gospel,  Mohammed  cannot  be  a  great- 
er prophet  than  Jesus  Christ,  as  the  Koran  teaches, 
without  subverting  the  gospel  from  the  beginning  to  the 
end.  This  being  the  case,  sir,  we  can  begin  our  in- 
vestigation with  the  religion  of  Jesus  Christ.  If  we 
find  that  its  origin  is  Divine,  everything  will  then  be 
said  in  favor  of  Moses,  and  against  Mohammed.  We 
will  examine,  in  their  turn,  the  claims  of  the  two 
others.  This  order  of  proceeding  is  the  more  eligible, 
because  you  must  agree  that  appearances,  to  say  the 
least,  are  more  in  favor  of  the  Christian  religion  than 
of  either  of  the  others.  Our  discussion  is  now  much 
simplified,  since  the  question  is  confined  to  one  re- 
ligion ;  and  the  documents  connected  with  that  re- 
ligion relate  to  a  period  which  is  well  known.  So 
what  becomes  of  all  Rousseau's  declamation  on  the 
impossibility  of  advancing  a  single  step  in  the  in- 
quiry in  which  we  are  now  engaged  ?  His  eloquence 


OF    THE    BIBLE.  17 

carries  you  away,  in  spite  of  yourself.     But  it  is  the 
eloquence  of  a  sophist. 

LucilJa. — I  think,  my  dear,  that  you  cannot  refuse 
to  comply  with  the  Abbe's  proposal.  It  is  an  advan- 
tage to  both  sides  to  limit  the  subject  of  discussion. 

Mr.  de  Lassallc. — I  am  allowing  you  to  arrange 
matters  too  much  your  own  way,  my  dear  sir.  But, 
however,  let  us  begin  by  examining  the  Christian  re- 
ligion, without  prejudice  to  the  others.  I  do  not  deny 
that  the  gospel,  especially  in  its  morality,  and  in  the 
character  of  its  Founder,  possesses  features  so  ad- 
mirable, that  I  have  sometimes  been  half  inclined  to 
believe  it.  But  this  same  religion  contains  things  so 
incredible,  that  I  can  neither  admit  nor  comprehend 
them.  I  would  willingly  say,  with  my  favorite  au- 
thor, "  If  I  find  in  its  support  proofs  which  I  cannot 
overcome,  I  also  find  objections  against  it,  which  I 
cannot  resolve.  There  are  so  many  weighty  reasons 
for  and  against  it,  that  not  knowing  how  to  decide,  I 
neither  admit  nor  reject  it."  In  dubio  abstine*  it  is 
said.     So  I  abstain. 

The  Abbe. — In  such  a  case  as  this  it  is  impossible 
to  do  so.  The  gospel  contradicts  general  opinion  on 
many  points.  Whenever  you  remain  undecided,  you 
adopt  the  general  opinion,  and  reject  the  gospel. 
What  Pascal  has  said,  in  speaking  of  the  existence 
of  God,  "  Not  to  believe  that  God  is,  is  to  believe 
that  he  is  not,"  is  still  more  true  of  the  Christian  re- 
ligion. Not  to  decide  in  its  favor  is  to  decide  against 
it.  "  He  that  is  not  with  me,"  said  Jesus  Christ,  "  is 
against  me." 

Mr.  de  Lassalle. — That  may  be,  but  it  is  not  my 
fault  if  Christianity  is  repugnant  to  my  reason. 

The  Abbe. — In  what  respect  is  it  so  ? 

Mr.  de  Lassalle. — Oh !  in  many  things.  For  in- 
stance, that  God  should  become  incarnate  ;  that  Je- 
sus Christ  should  be  born  of  a  virgin  ;  that  the  inno- 

*  In  doubtful  matters  suspend  your  judgment. 
2* 


18  INSPIRATION 

cent  should  Buffer  for  the  guilty,  etc. :  and  that  wo 
must  believe  all  this  whether  we  can  or  not,  under 
the  penalty  of  being  burned  in  hell,  through  all 
eternity. 

The  AbbS. — Stop,  my  dear  sir;  let  us  proceed 
with  order.  Thai  you  find  in  the  Christian  doctrine 
things  which  astonish  and  alarm  von.  I  can  conci 
But  the  point  which  we  must  first  elucidate  is  this: 
"  Is  the  gospel  of  ( rod,  or  is  it  not  ?"  (  nice  convinc- 
ed that  God  hath  spoken,  yon  will  not,  I  think,  r 
to  admit  what  he  asserts,  whether  it  be  conformable 
to  your  opinions  or  not.  For,  in  fact,  God  must  know 
more  about  it  than  we  do;  and  our  reason  cannot  be 
degraded  by  yielding  to  the  reason  of  its  Creator. 
You  tell  your  little  son,  Theophilus,  that  it  is  the 
earth  which  revolves,  and  not  the  sun.  This  is  con- 
trary to  the  judgment  of  his  youthful  intelligence, 
and  even  to  the  testimony  of  his  eyes  He  believes 
it,  nevertheless,  because  you  tell  him  so.  Is  he 
wrong  ? 

Mr.  de  Lassalle. — He  is  right;  he  ought  to  trust 
my  judgment  rather  than  his  own.  Yet  be  is  quite 
sure  that  it  is  his  father  who  speaks  to  him  ;  but  I 
am  not  certain — I  never  can  be  certain — that  God 
has  spoken  to  me  in  the  gospel.  It  is  this  first  step 
that  1  find  it  impossible  to  take.  For,  indeed,  how 
can  1  be  sure  of  it  ?  is  it  not  by  means  of  my  reason  ? 

The  Abbe. — Undoubtedly. 

Mr.  de  Lassallc. — But  if  my  reason  as  much  re- 
volts at  the  doctrines  of  the  gospel,  as  it  is  satisfied 
by  its  proofs,  what  must  I  do  ?  In  this  case,  my 
reason  must  be  at  fault  either  on  the  one  hand,  or  the 
other  ;  and  might  I  not  distrust  it  with  equal  justice, 
when  weighing  the  arguments  in  favor  of  Christian- 
ity,  as  when  scrutinizing  its  doctrines  7 

The  Abbe. — No,  sir.  To  weigh  arguments,  and 
to  examine  doctrines,  are  two  very  different  tilings. 
Allow  me  to  pursue  my  comparison.     If  the  reason 


OF    THE    BIBLE.  19 

of  Theophilus  as  much  revolts  al  hearing  that  the 

earth  revolves,  as  it  is  convinced  that  his  father  is 
addressing  him,  what  will  he  do  I  According  to  you, 
he  might  as  weU  doubt  that  you  have  spoken,  as  ad- 
mit that  the  earth  moves. 

Mr.  (ft  Lassalle. — Ah!  sir,  you  jest.  He  only- 
wants  eyes  to  recognise  his  father ;  whereas,  in  order 
to  study  the  movements  of  the  stars,  it  requires  in- 
telligence more  than  he  possesses,  and  observations 
which  he  is  unable  to  make.  Theophilus,  young  as 
he  is,  understands  this  distinction. 

The  Able.  Well  said.  I  quite  agree  with  you. 
Ex  ore  tuo  tc  judicabo ;  that  is,  your  own  mouth  shall 
condemn  you.  To  weigh  arguments,  to  ascertain 
whether  miracles  have  been  performed,  or  prophecies 
accomplished,  only  requires  an  examination  of  which 
reason  is  capable.  But  to  estimate  doctrines,  to  learn 
what  God  is,  what  are  his  nature,  his  will,  his  de- 
crees, requires  light  which  reason  does  not  possess. 
Whether  the  Bible  comes  from  God,  or  from  men,  is, 
if  you  will  allow  me  the  expression,  a  terrestrial  fact, 
and  one  which  falls  under  human  observation.  But 
every  thing  concerning  the  nature,  will,  and  designs 
of  God,  is  a  celestial  fact,  quite  out  of  the  range  of 
our  experience. 

Mr.  de  Lassalle. — Excuse  me,  sir,  perhaps  I  do 
not  understand  you  ;  but  you  seem  to  contradict  your- 
self. I  still  come  back  to  this  simple  dilemma : 
Either  reason  is  able  to  guide  us,  or  it  is  not.  In  the 
first  case,  it  does  not  need  a  revelation.  In  the  se- 
cond, it  would  be  unable  to  verify  and  examine  one. 

The  Abbe. — This  is  one  of  those  general  and  abso- 
lute maxims,  which,  while  they  appear  to  simplify  a 
question,  only  serve  to  render  it  more  intricate.  The 
fact  is,  that  reason  is  capable  of  guiding  us  in  some 
things,  and  incapable  in  others.  It  can  guide  us  in 
all  that  concerns  experience  and  observation  ;  and 
this  is  all  that  we  require  in  order  to  verify  the  au- 


20  INSPIRATION 

thority  of  the  gospel.  But  with  regard  to  the  things 
of  God,  it  cannot  guide  us  ;  and  tins  alone  renders  a 
revelation  necessary.  It  is  still  like  Theophilus,  who 
can  recognise  his  father,  but  who  cannot  study  the 
motions  of  the  planets.  Let  us  make  use  of  another 
comparison,  more  applicable  to  this  part  of  our  sub- 
ject. A  blind  man  cannot  find  his  way  by  himself; 
but  he  can  perceive  whether  the  voice  of  the  person 
who  offers  to  lead  him  be  that  of  a  friend.  He  is  in- 
competent, in  the  first  case,  because  the  organ  of 
sight  is  wanting.  He  is  competent  in  the  second, 
because  he  possesses  the  organ  of  hearing.  There 
is  no  contradiction  in  this.  Neither  is  there  any  in 
me,  sir,  when  I  make  use  of  the  faculties  which  I 
possess,  to  ascertain  whether  the  voice  of  the  gospel 
is  indeed  the  voice  of  God ;  and  when  I  afterwards 
supply  the  place  of  those  faculties,  by  allowing  my- 
self to  be  led  by  the  voice  which  I  have  ascertained 
to  be  Divine  :  distrustful  till  the  requisite  proofs  are 
given  ;  but,  after  that,  perfectly  confiding.  For  I  am 
not  ashamed  to  confess,  that  my  finite  intelligence 
does  not  stand  less  in  need  of  light  from  God,  than 
does  the  blind  man  of  the  eyes  of  his  friend.  "  Rea- 
son," said  St.  Augustine,  "  would  never  yield,  were 
it  not  convinced  that  there  are  cases  where  it  ought 
to  submit.  It  is,  then,  just  that  it  should  submit, 
when  it  concludes  that  it  ought  to  do  so ;  and  that  it 
should  not  submit,  when  it  concludes  that  it  ought 
not  to  do  so.  But  we  must  take  care  not  to  deceive 
ourselves."* 

Lucilla. — This  is  a  very  simple  distinction,  my 
dear,  which  never  struck  me  before,  and  which  over- 
throws the  greater  part  of  the  objections  of  your 
"  Vicaire  Savoyard." 

Mr.  de  Lassalle. — That  I  do  not  altogether  deny. 
But  still  I  do  not  think  we  have  made  much  progress. 
It  remains  for  us  to  inquire,  whether  our  reason  can 
*  Pascal's  Thoughts,  second  part,  vi.  2. 


OF    THE    BIBLE  21 

indeed  verify  the  authority  of  the  gospel.  The  proofs 
of  revelation  arc  and  ought  to  be,  supernatural ;  but 
our  reason,  which  is  according  to  nature,  cannot 
appreciate  anything  that  is  supernatural.  You  call 
this  a  ••  terrestrial"  investigation,  sir  ;  but  that  I  can- 
not understand.  What  is  more  "  celestial"  than  a 
miracle  ? 

The  Abbe. — A  miracle  comes  from  heaven,  it  is 
true  ;  but  it  is  performed  upon  earth.  It  is  in  this 
sense  that  I  have  called  it  a  "  terrestrial"  fact,  which 
falls  under  our  observation,  in  contradistinction  to  the 
thoughts  and  decrees  of  God,  which  no  man  can  see, 
and  which  cannot  be  known  without  a  revelation. 
The  design  of  miracles  being  to  prove  the  truth  of 
revelation,  they  do  not  require  to  be  revealed  them- 
selves. They  are  seen  exactly  as  a  natural  event  ; 
and  those  who  have  seen  them  bear  witness  to  others. 
Did  Jesus  Christ  rise  again  from  the  dead  1  This  is 
a  question  of  history,  which  human  reason  can  re- 
solve with  as  much  accuracy  as  if  the  inquiry  were, 
11  Was  Cesar  assassinated  in  the  Roman  senate?" 
The  only  difference  that  ought  to  be  made  between  a 
miracle  and  a  natural  event  is,  that  justice  requires 
more  essential  evidence  in  favor  of  the  former,  be- 
cause it  is  more  difficult  to  believe  than  the  other, 
and  because  its  results  are  more  important.  But  the 
miracle  being  once  proved,  our  reason,  well  aware 
that  human  nature  is  incapable  of  such  achievements, 
is  obliged  to  acknowledge  the  hand  of  God,  and  to 
confess  that  a  religion  accompanied  by  such  signs 
must  be  of  God. 

Mr.  de  Lassalle. — This  I  would  concede,  had  I 
seen  the  miracle  with  my  own  eyes.  But  the  worst 
is,  that  others  have  seen  for  me  ;  and  those  witnesses 
have  not  been  men  of  my  choice.  I  cannot  but  think 
of  this  expression  of  Rousseau  :  "  How  many  men 
between  God  and  me  !" 

The  Abbe. — That  is  to  say,  in  order  to  be  more 


22  INSPIRATION 

free  to  reject  miracles,  you  «pi«'stion  the  validity  of 
the  witnesses,  by  whose  testimony  alone  they  can  be 
established.     But  observe  the  consequences:  If  you 

can  be  sure  of  nothing  that  yon  have  not  seen  with 
your  own  eyes,  to  what  would  yon  be  reduced  ?  How 
many  things  are  there  which  yon  only  know  by  the 
testimony  of  others,  and  of  which,  nevertheless,  you 
do  not  entertain  the  slightest  doubt!  What  other 
proof  have  you  that  there  is  such  a  place  as  America, 
or  that  the  history  of  Alexander  is  true  ?  Did  yon 
ever  think  of  doubting  the  one  or  the  other  ?  Only 
believe  in  the  resurrection  of  Jesus  Christ,  as  you 
believe  in  America  and  Alexander,  and  I  shall  be  sat- 
isfied. Suppose  that  a  true  prophet  should  rise  up  in 
France,  at  this  present  time,  who  should  publicly 
work  real  miracles  in  Paris,  in  Lyons,  in  Marseilles  : 
do  you  think  that  no  means  could  be  employed  to  at- 
test their  authenticity,  which  would  convince  sur- 
rounding nations,  and  future  ages,  who  had  not  been 
eye-witnesses  of  the  facts  ?  Let  us  be  candid.  In 
reality  you  doubt  the  possibility  of  working  miracles 
far  more  than  you  doubt  the  possibility  of  proving 
them,  should  they  be  performed.  If  you  were  not 
pre-occupied  by  the  thought  that  miracles  are  impos- 
sible in  themselves,  you  would  soon  be  led  to  ac- 
knowledge that  a  certain  evidence  suffices  to  prove 
their  truth ;  and  that  this  evidence  exists  in  favor  of 
the  miracles  of  the  gospel. 

Mr.  de  Lassalle. — I  do  not  deny  it.  Miracles  have 
always  appeared  to  me  impossible  ;  because  I  think 
them  unworthy  of  Him  to  whom  they  are  ascribed. 
The  beautiful  order  of  nature,  which  miracles  profess 
to  interrupt,  is  the  greatness  and  the  glory  of  God. 
Could  he  not  magnify  one  of  his  works,  without  de- 
tracting from  another  ? 

The  Abbe. — Should  it  even  be  true,  sir,  that  the 
order  of  the  material  world  is  the  most  beautiful  of 
God's  works,  I  do  not  see  that  the  momentary  sus- 


OF    THE    BIBLE.  23 

pension  of  its  course  can  be  any  detriment  to  his 
glory.  Not  only  would  this  suspension  give  more 
striking  prominence  to  the  habitual  harmony  of  crea- 
tion, but  also  afford  an  incontestable  proof  that  God 
is  its  author  and  its  master.  It  is  not  the  glory  of 
the  work,  but  the  glory  of  the  workman,  that  is  of 
importance.  And  what  would  you  say,  if  a  time 
should  come,  when  the  heavens  and  the  earth  shall 
be  consumed  with  a  fervent  heat,  to  give  place  to 
"  a  new  heaven  and  a  new  earth?"  This  time  will 
come,  sir  ;  and  this  miracle  of  miracles,  believe  me, 
will  detract  nothing  from  the  glory  of  God.  But  it 
is  a  great  error  to  imagine  that  the  material  world  is 
the  most  glorious  work  of  God.  The  most  glorious 
work  of  God  is  the  world  of  spirits,  the  moral  world. 
I  have  no  doubt  you  agree  with  Pascal  in  this  beau- 
tiful thought :  "  All  bodies,  the  firmament,  the  stars, 
earth,  and  its  kingdoms,  are  not  worthy  to  be  com- 
pared with  the  meanest  mind  ;  for  it  knows  all  these 
things,  and  it  knows  itself;  but  body  is  incapable  of 
knowledge."  The  highest  glory  of  the  material 
world  is,  that  it  typifies  and  represents  to  us  the  phe- 
nomena of  the  moral  world,  of  which  it  is,  as  it  were, 
an  emblem  and  a  reflection.  "  The  heavens  declare 
the  glory  of  God ;"  and  his  invisible  perfections  are 
clearly  seen  from  the  creation  of  the  world,  "  being 
understood  by  the  things  which  are  made."  Thus  a 
tree,  which  grows  and  brings  forth  leaves  and  fruits 
in  their  season,  is  the  emblem  of  a  mind  increasing 
in  the  knowledge  of  God,  and  expanding  itself  in 
light  and  works  of  mercy.  In  this  point  of  view, 
comparisons  may  sometimes  be  arguments,  in  spite 
of  the  proverb  :  for  the  same  hand  created  the  two 
worlds,  and  the  same  design  is  observable  in  both. 
This  being  the  case,  it  may  enter  into  God's  plan  to 
sacrifice,  in  some  measure,  natural  order,  to  preserve 
and  establish  moral  order.  Such  is  the  object  of  a 
miracle.    It  is  like  an  opening  wrought  in  the  natural 


24  INSPIRATION 

heavens,  that  we  may  perceive  the  spiritual  heaven 
which  lies  beyond. 

Mr.  de  Lassalle. — You  have  comparisons  always 
at  hand,  sir ;  and  all  the  graces  of  language  seem  at 
your  disposal.  But  shall  I  tell  you  a  reason,  which 
of  itself  alone  would  lead  me  to  determine  against  the 
Christian  religion  7  It  is  the  fact  of  its  not  being  uni- 
versally known.  It  is  indeed  predicted  that  it  will 
penetrate,  at  some  time  or  another,  to  the  remotest 
nations  ;  and  that  it  will  overspread  the  whole  earth. 
Predictions  cost  nothing.  But  in  the  mean  while,  it 
allowed  forty  centuries  to  elapse  before  its  appear- 
ance in  the  world  ;  and  during  the  eighteen  centuries 
that  have  gone  by  since  its  appearance,  hardly  has  it 
reached  a  quarter  of  the  human  race.  How  many 
men,  how  many  families,  how  many  nations,  have 
perished  without  having  heard  of  its  existence  !  Is 
it  credible,  that  a  revelation,  the  knowledge  of  which 
would  be  indispensable  to  eternal  salvation,  should 
not  be  placed  within  the  reach  of  every  people  ?  ay, 
more,  of  every  man  ?  What !  from  the  first — or,  if 
you  like  it  better — from  the  fourth  day  of  creation, 
the  sun  shines  upon  all  men  :  and  the  light  of  reve- 
lation, so  much  more  essential,  is  hidden  from  the 
greater  portion  of  mankind  ! 

The  Abbe. — You  here  raise  a  difficulty,  sir,  more 
serious  than  any  of  the  preceding.  But  it  does  not 
ear  upon  religion  alone.  It  concerns  the  whole  of 
God's  plan  regarding  his  free  and  intelligent  crea- 
tures. The  sun  sheds  his  light  over  the  whole  world 
at  once,  because  this  is  a  thing  over  which  man  has 
no  control.  But  in  all  that  relates  to  intellectual  or 
moral  progress,  where  men  can  participate  in  the 
work,  we  everywhere  see  that  God  allows  them  to 
do  so,  and  constitutes  them  "  co-workers"  with  him- 
self, to  use  the  expression  of  Holy  Scripture.  Nei- 
ther the  light  of  civilization,  nor  the  knowledge  of  the 
arts,  was  at  once  promulgated  among  all  nations. 


OF    THF.     BIHLE.  25 

They  were  acquired  by  degrees,  with  the  help  of 
man,  and  the  Labor  of  centuries.  Let  us  not  com- 
plain of  this.  God  conicrs  honor  upon  man,  when 
he  thus  associates  hini  in  sonic  measure  with  his  work. 
Why  should  we  be  surprised  to  see  him  following, 
with  respect  to  religion, .the  same  plan  which  he  pur- 
sues in  everything  else  ? 

Mr.  de  Lassalle. — It  is  very  different.  For  igno- 
rance concerning  the  things  which  you  have  just 
named  does  not  compromise  salvation  :  whereas,  ig- 
norance in  religion,  according  to  your  belief,  prevents 
salvation  ;  and  all  these  miserable  heathen  are  lost 
for  ever,  because  they  do  not  believe  in  Jesus  Christ, 
of  whom  they  have  never  even  heard. 

The  Abbe. — Let  us  exaggerate  nothing.  The  gos- 
pel does  not  declare  this  ;  neither  does  the  church. 
"  God  will  judge  the  world  with  righteousness  ;"  and 
none  will  be  punished  for  being  ignorant  of  that  which 
they  could  not  possibly  know.  If  the  heathen  be  con- 
demned, it  will  not  be  for  having  refused  to  believe 
the  gospel,  but  for  having  sinned  against  that  natural 
light  which  is  granted  to  every  man.  It  is  for  this 
reason  that  St.  Paul  declares  them  to  be  "  without 
excuse,"  in  the  first  chapter  of  his  Epistle  to  the 
Romans. 

It  is  nevertheless  true,  I  repeat,  that  we  have  met 
with  a  real  difficulty ;  and  I  do  not  profess  to  be  able 
to  give  you  entire  satisfaction  on  this  point.  But  I 
strenuously  deny  that  you  have  any  reason,  on  this 
account,  to  decide  against  the  Christian  religion. 
You  would  have  acted  differently,  had  you  been  in 
God's  place,  and  perhaps  I  also.  This  is  all.  But 
does  it  appear  to  you  impossible  that  God  should 
have  designs  which  we  cannot  penetrate  ?  And  can 
he  do  nothing  without  having  first  submitted  it  to  the 
approbation  of  his  creature  ;  and  that  creature  sin- 
ful and  fallible  man  ?  If  you  are  so  averse  to  the 
gradual  progress  of  revelation,  it  is  but  just  that  you 
3 


26  INSPIRATION 

should  indicate  some  other  means  of  making  it  known. 
Admit,  for  a  moment,  that  a  revelation  exists.  How 
would  you  at  once  communicate  it  to  every  nation 
upon  earth,  without  performing  miracles  more  strange, 
and  in  far  greater  number,  than  those  of  the  gospel  ! 
This  is  not  all.  You  require  that  revelation  should 
be  within  the  reach,  not  only  of  every  nation,  hut  of 
every  man  ;  and  in  this  you  are  consistent  ;  for  the 
reasons  in  favor  of  each  are  equal.  Well,  suppose 
that  by  some  means,  which  1  cannot  conceive,  the 
knowledge  of  a  revelation  should  extend  to  every 
country  in  the  world.  Might  it  not  happen  that  fu- 
ture generations  would  abandon  the  religion  of  their 
forefathers,  as  many  Asiatic  nations  have  left  the  re- 
ligion of  Christ  for  that  of  Mohammed  ?  What  would 
you  do  in  this  case  ?  According  to  your  views,  jus- 
tice would  require  the  whole  series  of  miracles  to  be 
again  performed,  or  nothing  would  be  done.  You 
would  cover  the  earth  with  miracles,  which  you 
would  renew  every  five  or  six  generations  ;  and  yet 
you  are  their  declared  enemy.    What  a  contradiction  ! 

Mr.  de  Lassallc. — I  could  easily  avoid  the  contra- 
diction by  doing  away  with  miracles,  and  having  no 
revelation.  But  let  us  examine  your  hypothesis. 
Had  there  been  a  time  when  all  men  might  have 
known  the  revelation,  and  had  they  afterwards  aban- 
doned it,  their  ignorance  might  have  been  imputed,  if 
not  to  each  individual,  at  least  to  the  whole  human  race. 
The  difficulty  would  not  indeed  be  removed  ;  but  it 
would  have  quite  another  character  than  when  it  was 
by  God's  own  act,  not  by  any  deed  of  man,  that  the 
knowledge  of  salvation  was  hid  from  three-fourths  of 
mankind. 

The  Abbe. — And  what  would  you  say,  if  this  time 
had  once  existed  ? 

Mr.  de  Lassalle. — How  ?  what  do  you  mean  ? 

The  Abbe. — There  has  been  a  time  when  it  de- 
pended upon  man  alone,  whether  all  the  families  of 


OF    THE    BIBLE. 


27 


the  earth  should  receive,  I  do  not  say  the  gospel,  but 
that  portion  of  revelation  which  was  given  to  the 
patriarchs,  and  which  sufficed  to  save  them.  There 
lias  been  ;i  time  when  it  depended  on  man  alone  that 
all  men  should  bo  Baved. 

Mr.  </>■  Lassalle.  —  Explain  yourself,  sir.  Of  what 
period  do  you  speak  ! 

The  Abbe. — Of  the  first  day  after  the  creation  of 
the  world.  Immediately  after  Adam  had  sinned,  and 
before  the  birth  of  his  children,  God  gave  him  the 
first  promise  of  grace,*  which  announced  to  sinful 
man  a  future  Messiah,  by  believing  in  whom  they 
might  be  saved ;  just  as  we  may  be  saved  by  faith  in 
tin-  Messiah  already  come.  Abel  believed,  and  was 
saved.  What  Abel  did,  Cain  might  have  done  ;  the 
children  of  both  might  have  done  likewise  ;  then  their 
children's  children  :  all,  in  short.  It  is  impossible 
to  follow  this  hypothesis,  which  being  realized,  would 
have  entirely  changed  the  order  of  God's  revelations. 
But,  in  fact,  nothing  on  God's  part  has  prevented  the 
promise  of  grace,  introduced  into  the  world  imme- 
diately after  the  fall,  from  being  diffused  wherever  sin 
has  extended.  That  this  has  not  been  the  case,  is 
the  act  of  man  ;  which  is  just  what  you  required. 

Lucilla. — This  is  admirable,  sir !  It  is  a  ray  of 
light! 

Mr.  de  Lassalle. — Beware  of  enthusiasm,  my 
dear.  It  is  a  bad  guide  in  seeking  the  truth.  I  con- 
fess,  nevertheless,  that  the  Abbe  presents  me  with 
reasons  which  I  had  never  before  heard,  and  which 
give  me  much  matter  for  thought.  But  you  have  just 
told  us,  sir — and  that  has  not  escaped  me — that  you 
find  in  the  last  objection  I  have  made,  a  real  difficul- 
ty, and  one  upon  which  you  do  not  boast  that  you 
can  give  me  entire  satisfaction.  I  know  the  candor 
of  this  concession  ;  but  if  by  this  avowal  the  advo- 
cate gains  in  my  esteem,  the  cause  may  well  lose. 

*  Gen.  iii.  15. 


28  INSPIRATION 

For  if  religion  presents  this  difficulty,  it  may  like- 
wise present  others  ;  and  even  supposing  you  had  re- 
moved this  objection  by  your  remarks,  there  may  be  ' 
others  which  remain  in  all  their  force.  For  my  own 
part,  I  find  many  that  I  am  unable  to  solve.  There 
are  certain  questions  which  I  could  propose  to  you, 
and  to  which  I  defy  you  to  give  an  answer  that  would 
fully  satisfy  me. 

The  Abbe. — I  grant  it. 

Lucitta. — You  grant  it! 

The  Abbe. — Yes,  madam ;  and  this  confession 
gives  me  no  pain.  On  the  eternity  of  God,  on  the 
incarnation  of  Christ,  on  grace,  on  everlasting  punish- 
ment, and  on  many  other  points  of  Christian  doc- 
trine, you  might  ask  me  questions  to  which  I  should 
simply  reply,  "  I  do  not  know."  These  are  difficul- 
ties, inexplicable  difficulties,  if  you  like  ;  but  difficul- 
ty is  not  doubt. 

Mr.  de  Lassalle. — This  is  certainly  the  first  time 
I  have  ever  heard  revelation  thus  defended.  What 
is  your  meaning? 

The  Abbe. — It  is  this.  A  thing  may  be  so  clearly 
demonstrated,  that  it  cannot  be  doubted  ;  and  yet  it 
may  give  rise  to  questions  which  cannot  be  solved. 
The  reason  is  plain.  To  know  is  one  thing  ;  tho- 
roughly to  understand  is  another.  We  may  know, 
we  may  be  fully  convinced  of  a  thing,  of  which  we 
can  discover  neither  the  how  nor  the  why.  Exam- 
ples abound  in  every  branch  of  human  science.  In 
natural  history,  we  know  that  a  grain  of  wheat,  placed 
in  the  ground,  germinates,  grows,  and  produces  an 
ear.  But  if  you  were  asked  how  this  takes  place, 
could  you  tell  ?  Suppose  that  a  man  who  had  no 
idea  of  the  generation  of  plants,  should  hear  you 
speak  of  it  for  the  first  time,  what  questions,  what 
difficulties,  what  pretended  impossibilities,  he  would 
suggest !  To  all  this  you  would  be  obliged  to  reply, 
in  your  turn,  "  I  do  not  know  ;"  and  yet  you  would 


of  Tin-:   r.im.K. 


29 


not  for  a  moment  doubl  that  the  ear  was  produced 
by  the  grain  of  wheat.  With  you,  then,  as  with  me, 
difficulty  is  not  doubt.     In  philosophy,  I  will ;  and 

my  arm  rises.  An  immaterial  substance  communi- 
cates motion  to  matter.  How  can  you  account  for 
this  !  1  know  not,  yet  1  do  not  doubt.  Mathema- 
tical science  itself  will  furnish  examples,  with  which 
you  are  better  acquainted  than  I  am.  You  demon- 
strate that  the  asymptote  continually  approaches  the 
parabola,  without  their  ever  being  able  to  meet. 
Again,  you  demonstrate  that  the  earth,  in  its  evo- 
lutions round  the  sun,  arrived  at  the  point  where  the 
shortest  distance  separates  it  from  that  luminary, 
and  consequently  where  the  force  of  attraction  at- 
tains its  greatest  power,  suddenly  flies  oft',  as  by  an 
inconceivable  caprice,  at  the  moment  when  it  seems 
about  to  precipitate  itself  therein ;  and  that  three 
mouths  after,  by  a  contrary  caprice,  it  draws  near  to 
the  sun,  which  one  would  imagine  it  was  on  the 
point  of  abandoning  for  ever  1  Who  can  account  for 
this?  But  who  can  doubt  it?  Well,  sir,  the  diffi- 
culties that  we  meet,  with  in  every  other  science,  we 
must  not  be  surprised  to  find  in  religion,  which  is 
the  highest  among  them,  We  cannot  explain  a 
blade  of  grass,  and  yet  we  are  astonished  that  we 
cannot  explain  God  !  It  may  be  clearly  proved  to 
me,  that  the  Christian  religion  comes  from  Him, 
without  my  being  able  to  comprehend  why  he  has 
not  hitherto  conferred  its  blessings  upon  every  na- 
tion. It  may  be  clearly  proved  to  me,  that  Jesus 
Christ  is  at  once  God  and  man,  without  my  being 
able  to  comprehend  how  the  Divine  and  human 
natures  are  united  in  his  person.  It  may  be  clearly 
proved  to  me,  that  eternal  punishment  exists,  with- 
out my  being  able  perfectly  to  understand  its  ne- 
cessity. 

After  all,  sir,  I  only  act  towards  revelation  as  you 
do  towards  natural  religion.     Doubtless,  it  also  has 
3* 


30  INSPIRATION 

its  mysteries ;  nevertheless,  they  do  not  shake  your 
faith.  Only  to  mention  one.  You  cannot  deny  that 
evil  exists  in  the  world,  since  you  see  it  wiih  your 
own  eyes.  Can  you  explain  how  it  came  there  ?  Of 
all  mysteries  this  is  at  once  the  most  clearly  proved, 
and  the  most  inexplicable  ;  and  reason,  constrained 
to  admit  this  truth,  is  not  very  consistent  in  refusing 
to  believe  every  other.  Yes,  sir,  there  are  many 
things  in  religion  which  are  above  my  comprehen- 
sion, but  this  neither  surprises  nor  distresses  me. 
I  expected  it.  I  understand  that  I  cannot  under- 
stand. There  are  difficulties  everywhere.  It  is  im- 
possible it  should  be  otherwise,  not  only  for  us,  but 
more  or  less  for  every  created  being.  A  creature  to 
whom  nothing  would  be  incomprehensible,  would 
stand  in  God's  place  ;  would  see  with  God's  eye  ; 
would  be  God.  It  is  a  contradiction  in  terms.  No 
shadows  are  visible  to  him  who  contemplates  objects 
illumined  by  the  sun,- from  the  sun  itself;  but  we, 
who  are  upon  the  earth,  see  shadows.  It  is  a  ne- 
cessity incident  to  our  position.  For  the  same  rea- 
son, he  who  contemplates  objects  from  the  bosom  of 
God,  the  centre  and  principle  of  creation,  finds  no 
obscurity  ;  all  things  being  seen,  not  only  in  their 
true  light,  but  in  their  true  connexion  with  every 
other.  But  for  us,  for  every  created  being  what- 
ever, there  are  difficulties ;  there  always  will  be.  It  is 
a  law  of  our  nature.  It  would  be  unreasonable,  there- 
fore, to  seek  a  religious  system  absolutely  free  from 
them.  We  shall  never  find  one.  It  neiiher  exists 
for  us,  nor  even  for  the  angels  themselves.  We 
must  be  content  to  adopt  that  which,  with  the  best 
proofs  in  its  favor,  presents  the  least  difficulties. 
Mark  this,  then,  my  dear  sir.  There  are  difficulties 
in  the  Christian's  creed,  but  there  are  fewer  than  in 
that  of  the  unbeliever  :  and  reason  alone  would  lead 
me  to  become  a  Christian  j  because,  in  order  to  re- 


OF    THE    BIBLE. 


31 


ject  the  gospel,  I  should  require  a  degree  of  credulity 
of  which  I  do  not  feel  myself  capable. 

Mr.  de  Lassalle. — Ah  !  this  is  new  indeed  !  It  is 
I  then  who  am  the  most  credulous  of  the  two ! 

The  Abbe. — Yes,  sir,  it  is  you. 

Mr.  de  Lassalle. — Hut  I  can  hardly  run  any  risk  in 
this  respect,  as  I  believe  in  nothing. 

The  Abbe. — This  would  be  all  very  well,  if  you 
could  believe  in  nothing.  But  you  canno^  help  be- 
lieving in  something.  For  if  the  Bible  is  not  of 
God,  it  is  of  men  ;  is  it  not  ?  The  Bible  is  of  God  ; 
this  is  my  belief.  The  Bible  is  of  men ;  this  is 
yours.  Then  I  maintain  that  your  belief  is  sur- 
rounded by  much  greater  difficulties  than  mine.  Or, 
to  amplify  my  idea,  if  there  are  difficulties  in  the 
way  of  my  belief,  there  are  absolute  impossibilities 
in  the  way  of  yours  ;  and  if,  in  order  to  believe 
■what  I  believe,  I  must  bow  down  my  head  before 
God,  which  I  do  without  shame,  you,  in  order  to 
believe  what  you  believe,  must  contradict  what  is 
most  evident  in  observation,  in  experience,  and  in 
history. 

Mr.  de  Lassalle. — I  am,  indeed,  curious  to  see 
how  you  will  prove  this. 

Lucilla. — I  am  not  less  so  than  yourself,  my  dear. 
But  we  must  allow  the  Abbe  a  little  time  for  repose. 
You  had  better  postpone  the  rest  of  your  conversa- 
tion till  the  afternoon. 

Mr.  de  Lassalle. — Very  willingly ;  but  I  hope 
that  reflection  will  not  damp  your  courage,  my  dear 
sir.  I  will  not  give  up  till  you  have  fulfilled  your 
promise.  You  must  prove  to  me,  that  I  am  more 
credulous  than  a  believer. 

The  Abbe. — Make  yourself  quite  easy.  My  con- 
clusions are  already  formed;  and  I  think  I  can  en- 
tirely satisfy  you. 


32  INSPIRATION 


CONVERSATION  II. 

The  Abbe. — We  did  not  proceed  with  much  order, 
sir,  in  our  discussion  this  morning.  We  touched 
upon  many  points,  without  thoroughly  investigating 
any.  You  must  agree  that  this  is,  in  some  degree, 
your  fault.  You  have  fixed  upon  me  like  a  sharp- 
shooter. J  have  submitted  to  this  without  complaint, 
to  have  an  opportunity  of  showing  you,  that  there 
are  no  objections,  which  your  philosophers  urge  with 
so  much  confidence,  to  which  the  gospel  has  not 
something  substantial  to  offer  in  reply.  It  is  now 
your  turn  to  defend  yourself,  and  mine  to  attack.  I 
will  try  to  do  so  with  as  much  order  as  can  be  pre- 
served in  a  conversation,  and  trust  that  you  will  se- 
cond mo  in  this  endeavor. 

Mr.  de  Lassalle. — I  am  quite  willing  to  do  so. 

The  Abbe. — The  Bible  exists.  We  must  account 
for  its  origin.  My  explanation  is  this:  God  in- 
spired the  men  by  whom  it  was  written,  and  re- 
vealed himself  in  it  to  mankind.  This  explanatioo 
has  its  difficulties.  We  considered  them  this  morn- 
ing, and  I  will  not  again  revert  to  them.  I  will  con 
fine  myself  to  a  general  remark  on  the  nature  of 
these  difficulties.  They  bear  almost  entirely  on 
points  which  depend  upon  the  Divine  will  or  know- 
ledge. "  It  is  inconsistent  with  the  wisdom  or  the 
greatness  of  God,  to  reveal  himself  to  men  ;" — or, 
again,  "  Supposing  that  God  should  purpose  to  re- 
veal himself,  it  is  incredible  that  he  should  have  em- 
ployed, to  that  end,  the  means  which  the  gospel  de- 
clares him  to  have  done  ;" — or,  "  There  are  certain 
doctrines  in  the  gospel,  which  are  not  in  accordance 
with  God's  perfections."  "  God  will  not,"  "  God 
ought  not:"  such  are  the  unvarying  objections  of 
some;  for  they  dare  not  say,  "God  cannot."  In 
order  to  render  arguments  of  this  description  conclu- 


OF    THE    BIBLE.  33 

sive,  we  should  have  a  perfect  knowledge  of  the 
Divine  nature.  Do  you,  sir,  possess  this  knowledge  ? 
And  when,  instead  of  seeking  to  discover  what  God 
has  done,  we  pretend,  in  the  first  place,  to  judge  what 
he  ought  to  do,  may  we  not  fear  to  deceive  ourselves? 
This  being  the  case,  your  objections  are  vague  and 
unfounded.  They  are  conjectures  more  or  less 
probable  ;  but  nothing  more.  You  may  say,  "  I 
think,"  "  I  presume,"  but  never,  "  I  know."  The 
explanation  I  give  of  the  origin  of  the  Bible  is  in 
some  respects  incredible,  according  to  your  opinion ; 
but  it  presents  nothing  that  is  absolutely  impossible. 
It  is  not  absurd. 

Mr.  de  Lassalle. — Sir  !  I  did  not  say  that  it  was  so. 

The  Abbe. — Well,  I,  sir,  cannot  be  so  polite  as  you 
are.  Your  explanation,  according  to  which  the  Bible 
is  an  ordinary  book,  falsely  claiming  Divine  inspira- 
tion, is  surrounded  with  difficulties  ;  bearing  not  on 
so  mysterious  a  subject  as  the  nature  of  God,  but  on 
what  is  best  known  and  most  clearly  proved  among 
men.  This  explanation  is  so  strongly  opposed  to 
facts,  and  to  common  sense,  that  you  cannot  support 
it  without  falling  into  absurdities.  My  expressions 
are  strong.  I  hasten  to  justify  them.  To  throw 
light  upon  my  view  of  the  subject,  let  us  leave  gen- 
eralities' and  fix  our  attention  on  a  single  point.  I 
choose  prophecy  ;  and  more  especially  the  prophe- 
cies concerning  the  Messiah  in  the  Old  Testament. 

Let  us  first  clearly  put  the  question.  In  the  Old 
Testament,  the  last  pages  of  which  were  written  five 
hundred  years  before  the  Christian  era,  I  find  a  great 
number  of  predictions  which  refer  to  a  future  prophet. 
In  the  New  Testament  I  find  all  these  predictions 
fulfilled  in  the  history  of  Jesus  Christ.  I  explain 
this  without  difficulty,  by  saying  that  Jesus  Christ 
was  sent  by  God,  who  caused  him  to  be  announced 
to  the  world  by  inspired  writers,  a  long  time  before- 
hand.    But  you,  who  believe  neither  in  the  Divine 


34  INSPIRATION 

mission  of  Jesus  Christ,  nor  in  the  inspiration  of  the 
prophets,  how  do  you  explain  the  evident  connexion 
between  the  prediction  and  the  event  ? 

Mr.  de  Lussalle. — Do  not  speak  to  me  of  prophe- 
cies !  You  could  not  make  a  more  unfortunate  choice. 
Of  all  your  proofs,  it  is  that  against  which  1  nave  the 
greatest  antipathy.  I  would  rather,  I  think,  admit 
miracles.  That  a  man  should  announce  events  which 
are  to  happen  in  the  course  of  live  or  six  hundred 
years,  and  that  they  should  take  place  exactly  as  he 
has  said!     Frankly,  it  is  impossible. 

The  Abbe. — Impossible!  That  is  a  strong  ex- 
pression, and  one  which  you  have  already  granted 
that  you  have  here  no  right  to  apply.  This  reminds 
me  of  a  circumstance  that  took  place  on  my  journey, 
and  which  you  must  allow  me  to  relate.  Excuse  the 
association.  It  is  only  an  example,  which  I  use  to 
make  myself  better  understood.  Yesterday,  in  as- 
cending a  hill  on  foot,  I  found  myself  walking  side 
by  side  with  one  of  your  farmers,  who  was  returning 
from  the  fair.  We  were  admiring  the  setting  sun. 
He  made  some  remark,  which  led  me  to  remind  him 
(you  see  that  I  again  allude  to  the  lesson  of  Theophi- 
lus)  that  it  is  the  earth  which  moves,  and  not  the  sun. 
I  did  not  believe  that  I  should  have  found  a  peasant 
in  France  who  was  not  aware  of  this  fact.  But  you 
should  have  seen  his  astonishment.  "  Impossible  !" 
cried  he,  looking  steadfastly  at  me,  to  see  if  I  were 
jesting.  When  he  was  convinced  that  I  spoke  se- 
riously, "  Impossible  !"  he  repeated.  "  I  see  the  sun 
rise  and  set ;  and  I  am  very  sure  that  I  feel  the  earth 
firm  beneath  my  feet."  I  could  not  get  him  any  far- 
ther. It  was  in  vain  that  I  brought  forth  proofs, 
.vhich  I  nevertheless  endeavored  to  suit  to  his  ca- 
pacity. His  mind  was  made  up  ;  he  would  listen  to 
nothing  I  had  to  say.  I  ask,  sir,  which  is  the  more 
creduLous  ?  this  peasant,  incredulous  concerning  the 
motion  of  the  earth,  and  refusing  to  hear  any  thing 


OF    THE    BIRLE.  35 

contrary  to  his  opinions  ?  or  you,  believing  in  this 
motion,  because  you  have  observed,  and  seen,  and 
beard  !  You  see  my  object.  If  you  have  not  ex- 
amined the  problem  of  the  prophecies,  I,  who  ex- 
amine, who  listen,  who  observe,  am  less  credulous 
than  you,  who  have  neither  eyes  nor  ears  for  this  in- 
quiry ;  and  who  form  a  fixed  opinion  before  you  have 
consulted  facts,  by  which  you  will  not  afterwards  al- 
low yourself  to  be  convinced  ?  I  speak  to  one  who 
is  better  acquainted  with  science  and  its  history  than 
myself.  Is  it  not  true,  that  science  first  deserved  its 
name  from  the  period  when  the  great  Bacon  laid 
down  this  principle  :  "  First  observe  facts  ;  and  then 
seek  the  theory  by  which  they  may  be  the  best  ex- 
plained r  Well,  sir,  in  religion  I  proceed  according 
to  the  method  of  Bacon  ;  observing  first,  and  after- 
wards drawing  conclusions  :  and  you,  permit  me  to 
say,  proceed  according  to  the  ancient  method,  form- 
ing a  theory,  a  priori,  and  leaving  facts  out  of  the 
question. 

Mr.  de  Lassalle. — You  are  mistaken,  sir,  I  assure 
you.  Though  I  have  not  thoroughly  studied  the  sub- 
ject of  the  prophecies,  they  have  nevertheless  cost 
me  some  little  reflection.  But  Rousseau  presents  an 
argument  on  this  point,  which  I  think  decisive. 
Three  things,  whose  concurrence  is  impossible,  are 
necessary  to  my  giving  credence  to  the  prophecies  : 
"  I  must  be  witness  of  the  prophecy — witness  of  the 
event — and  thoroughly  convinced  that  the  event  could 
not  accidentally  coincide  with  the  prophecy." 

The  Abbe. — I  am  delighted  with  this  quotation.  It 
will  assist  us  in  our  elucidation.  Rousseau  doubtless 
wishes  to  have  been  witness  of  the  prophecy  in  order 
to  be  assured  that  there  was  no  fraud  in  the  predic- 
tion. He  wishes  to  have  been  witness  of  the  event, 
in  order  to  be  assured  that  there  was  none  in  the  ful- 
filment. Lastly,  he  wishes  it  to  be  clearly  proved  to 
him,  that  the  event  does  not  accidentally  coincide 


36  INSPIRATION 

with  the  prophecy,  without  any  preconcerted  plan. 
Your  author  thus  furnishes  you  with  three  ways  of 
explaining  the  agreement  of  the  event  with  the  pro- 
phecy, independent  of  Divine  interposition.  First 
explanation.  Either  there  has  been  no  preconcerted 
scheme  at  all :  it  is  an  accidental  coincidence  ;  for 
if  there  has  been  any  preconcerted  scheme,  it  is  not 
of  God,  but  of  men,  who  may  have  arranged  the 
matter  in  two  different  ways.  Second  explanation. 
They  may  have  prepared  the  event  to  suit  the  pro- 
phecy. Third  explanation.  They  may  also  have 
composed  the  prophecy  to  suit  the  event  already 
transpired.  A  division  worthy  of  the  logic  of  Rous- 
seau, and  which  appears  to  me  to  have  exhausted  the 
subject. 

Mr.  de  Lassalle. — Excellent !  You  have  thrown 
fresh  light  upon  Rousseau's  idea,  which  is  admirably 
just  and  complete.  I  would  not  abuse  the  generosity 
of  my  adversary  ;  but,  as  you  say,  "  Truth  before 
everything."  I  am  well  fortified,  I  think,  to  resist 
your  attack.  I  required  but  one  stronghold,  and  I 
have  three.  I  shall,  indeed,  be  unfortunate,  if  you 
overthrow  them  all. 

The  Abbe. — Let  us  examine.  One  alone  of  the  ex- 
planations would  suffice  you,  I  confess.  You  think 
them  all  admissible  :  this  is  what  we  must  investigate. 
With  which  will  you  begin  ? 

Mr.  de  Lassalle. — With  the  accidental  coincidence  ; 
it  is  a  very  simple  means.  Why  should  we  not  be- 
lieve that  the  pretended  prophets  of  the  Old  Testa- 
ment have  risked  certain  predictions,  which  have 
been  accomplished  by  a  caprice  of  fortune  ? — as  it 
may  happen  that  dice  thrown  at  random  may  present 
a  number  which  has  been  previously  mentioned. 
However  precise,  however  explicit  may  be  the  proph- 
ecy, this  is  not  absolutely  impossible. 

The  Abbe. — This  last  remark  is  a  pure  sophism. 
But  you  are  not  responsible  for  it,  as  it  is  furnished 


OF    THK     HIULK.  37 

by  Rousseau.  Let  us  not  dispute  about  words.  ••  This 
is  not  absolutely  impossible;"  no,  if  by  that  you  only 
mean  thai  it  docs  not  imply  a  contradiction.  I  Jut  this 
is  not  the  loss  impossible,  absolutely  impossible,  with 
respect  to  prophecies  which  possess  a  certain  degree 
of  precision  and  explicitness.  Neither  is  it  "abso- 
lutely impossible"  that  printed  characters,  promiscu- 
ously shaken  together  and  scattered,  should  have 
produced  the  Jmeid  ;  nor  that  the  order  of  the  uni- 
verse was  formed  by  the  accidental  meeting  of  atoms 
in  the  regions  of  space  ;  and,  nevertheless,  he  who 
believes  this  would  he  a  fool.  Do  you  know  who 
says  so  S  Rousseau  himself;  and,  like  the  man  who 
appealed  from  Philip  drunk  to  Philip  soher,  I  oppose 
Rousseau  impartial  to  Rousseau  prejudiced.  "  You 
may  talk  to  me  as  much  as  you  please  of  combinations 
and  chances  :  what  end  will  it  answer  to  reduce  me 
to  silence,  if  you  cannot  persuade  me  of  the  truth  of 
what  you  advance  !  and  how  will  you  divest  me  of 
that  involuntary  sentiment,  which  continually  contra- 
dicts you  ? I  confess  that  I  ought  not  to   be 

surprised  that  any  possible  thing  should  happen,  when 
the  rarity  of  the  event  is  compensated  by  the  great 
odds  that  it  did  not  happen.  And  yet,  if  any  one  was 
to  tell  me  that  a  number  of  printer's  types,  jumbled 
promiscuously  together,  had  disposed  themselves  in 
the  order  of  the  letters  composing  the  iEneid.  I  cer- 
tainly should  not  deign  to  take  one  step  to  verify  or 
disprove  such  a  story.  It  may  be  said,  I  forget  the 
number  of  chances  ;  but  pray  how  many  must  I  sup- 
pose to  render  such  a  combination  in  any  degree 
probable  ?  I,  who  see  only  the  one,  must  conclude 
that  there  is  an  infinite  number  against  it,  and  that  it 
is  not  the  effect  of  chance."*  Remark  this,  my  dear 
sir ;  and  the  same  principles  which  you  think  incon- 
testable, when  they  are  adduced  to  prove  the  exist- 
ence of  God,  bear  in  mind  when  called  upon  to  verify 

*  Rousseau,  Profession  de  foi  du  Vicaire  Savoyard. 
4 


38  INSPIRATION 

the  arguments  in  favor  of  revelation.     This  is  all  I 
ask. 

Mr.  dc  Lassalle. — Agreed.  There  are  certain  com- 
binations which  cannot  be  the  effect  of  chance;  and 
Rousseau's  Language  on  the  accidental  coincidence  of 
the  event  with  the  prophecy  is  perhaps  rather  abso- 
lute. Still,  prophecies  should  be  very  full,  very  ex- 
plicit, in  order  that  this  coincidence  may  not  be  ad- 
mitted.  For  though  we  do  not  see  letters  thrown  at 
hazard  produce  an  JEneid,  yet  we  sometimes  meet 
with  singular  coincidences  of  this  kind,  and  which  it 
would  be  difficult  to  believe,  if  one  were  not  con- 
strained by  facts  to  admit  their  reality.  The  news- 
papers, in  giving  an  account  of  the  great  fire  which 
took  place  at  Salianches,  relate  that  the  same  catas- 
trophe had  already  happened  to  this  town,  on  an 
Easter  Sunday,  some  centuries  ago.  They  have  also 
recently  spoken  of  an  old  man,  who  died  at  the  same 
age,  and  on  the  same  day  of  the  year,  as  his  father, 
and  as  his  grandfather  did.  How  often  do  we  hear 
of  dreams  accomplished,  of  presentiments  fulfilled  ! 
You  do  not,  however,  on  that  account,  believe  in 
either  dreams  or  presentiments.  They  are  the 
freaks  of  chance,  left  entirely  to  itself.  With  the 
help  of  human  prudence,  as  might  be  the  case  in  a 
prediction,  it  could  do  much  more.  The  pretended 
prophet,  by  a  skilful  calculation,  might  discern  the 
probable  consequences  of  certain  situations  :  or,  again, 
he  might  clothe  his  predictions  in  language  so  equiv- 
ocal, that  they  could  hardly  fail  to  be  accomplished 
in  one  way  or  another.  Thus  the  Delphic  oracle  did 
not  run  any  great  risk  of  compromising  itself,  in 
stating  that  Croesus  would  ruin  a  great  empire,  if  he 
declared  war  against  Cyrus  ;  and  Nostradamus, 
though  no  sorcerer,  has  made  many  predictions, 
which  are  realized  in  the  same  manner.  But  what 
is  more  astonishing,  the  augur  Vettius  Valens,  who 
lived  five  hundred  years  before  Christ,  stated  that  the 


OF    THE    BIBLE.  39 

Roman  power  would  last  twelve  centuries,  if  it  were 
true  that  Komuliis  had  seen  twelve  vultures,  when  he 
consulted  the  flight  of  birds  with  his  brother  Remus  ; 
and.  in  effect,  about  twelve  centuries  elapsed  between 
the  foundation  of  Rome,  and  the  fall  of  the  western 
empire.  Tasso  sometimes  announces  the  French 
Revolution  ;  and  Seneca,  you  doubtless  remember, 
predicted  the  discovery  of  America,  with  a  precision 
which  your  Jewish  prophets  will  find  it  difficult  to 
surpass.  I  recollect  to  have  read  these  words  in  the 
work  of  an  English  philosopher  :*  "  Show  me  in 
your  Bible  a  prophecy  as  clear,  and  which  has  been 
as  exactly  accomplished,  as  that  which  Seneca  made 
by  mere  chance,  concerning  the  discovery  of  America 
by  Christopher  Columbus,  and  I  will  believe." 

The  Abbe. — Among  the  coincidences  you  mention, 
there  are  some  which  are  remarkable,  it  is  true  ;  es- 
pecially the  augury  of  Vettius  Valens.  As  to  the 
prophecy  of  Seneca,  which  one  must  indeed  be  pre- 
judiced to  compare  with  those  of  the  Bible,  there  is 
every  reason  to  think  that  it  is  a  mere  historical  re- 
cital. It  only  affords  a  proof,  among  many  others,! 
that  America  was  not  entirely  unknown  to  the  an- 
cients, having  been  visited,  at  a  very  remote  period, 
by  the  Phoenician  merchants.  But  allow  me  to  ask, 
have  you  read  the  Old  Testament ? 

»  Collins. 

f  We  will  only  quote  two.  The  first  is  given  by  DiodorusSicu- 
lus,  who  expresses  himself  nearly  thus  :  "  Opposite  the  coast  of 
Africa,  and  in  the  Great  Ocean,  is  found  an  island  of  considerable 
extent,  and  which  is  separated  by  an  immense  interval  from  the 
rest  of  the  world.  The  soil  of  this  island,  in  some  parts  flat,  in 
others  mountainous,  is  watered  by  large  rivers.  The  cities  are 
embellished  with  sumptuous  edifices.  The  climate  is  so  mild,  that 
the  trees  bear  fruit  during  the  greater  part  of  the  year.  In  short, 
this  favored  country  seems  more  fitted  for  the  abode  of  gods  than 
men.  This  island,  long  unknown  on  account  of  its  remoteness, 
was  discovered  in  the  following  manner  : — The  Phoenicians  have, 
from  time  immemorial,  undertaken  long  voyages,  and  founded  es- 
tablishments in  Africa,  and  in  western  Europe.  Their  prosperity 
increasing,  they  pushed  beymid  the  Straits  of  Hercules,  explored 
the  coast  of  Africa,  and  founded  gardens  in  Bettica.  But  one  day, 
overtaken  by  a  tempest,  they  were  constrained  to  sail  in  the  di- 


40  INSPIRATION 

Mr.  de  Lassalle. — 'Not  much.  I  must  confess  that 
my  notions  of  it  arc  rather  superficial. 

The  AbbL — That  is  a  pity.  It  will  then  be  less 
easy  for  me  to  convince  you  how  different  are  the 
prophecies  of  the  Old  Testament,  from  those  with 
which  you  dare  to  compare  them.  I  hope,  neverthe- 
less, to  be  able  to  persuade  you  that  this  comparison 
is  unjust,  and  your  explanation  inadmissible.  What, 
in  fact,  do  your  examples  prove  ?  That  among  so 
many  false  presages,  or  presentiments,  which  have 
remained  unfulfilled,  one  or  two  have  been  found 
which  the  event  has  justified.  These  alone  have 
been  remembered  ;  and  the  others,  by  far  the  greater 
number,  have  been  forgotten.  This  I  can  conceive, 
while  I  smile  at  the  freaks  of  chance,  or  these  suc- 
cessful attempts  of  human  sagacity  :  and  I  would  seel; 
no  other  explanation  of  the  prophecies  of  the  Old 
Testament  which  are  accomplished  in  the  New,  did 
I  see  but  one  or  two  predictions  among  a  thousand, 
which  fortune  might  have  amused  itself  in  verifying, 
leaving  all  the  rest  to  fall  to  the  ground.  But  the 
case  is  quite  different.  Here  we  have  a  body  of 
prophecies,  one  resting  upon  another,  all  tending 
towards  the  same  fact,  the  greatest  revolution  that 
has  ever  occurred  in  the  history  of  mankind  ;  and, 
lastly,  the  whole  fulfilled  in  so  wonderful  a  manner, 
that  we  defy  you  to  cite  a  single  one  that  has  been 
belied  by  the  event. 

rection  of  this  large  island,  where  they  landed  after  a  long  navi- 
gation. The  fame  of  so  beautiful  and  fertile  a  country  was  soon 
spread  abroad,  so  that  the  Etrurians,  then  possessed  of  e^reat  naval 
power,  formed  the  project  of  colonizing  it.  But  they  were  pre- 
vented by  the  Carthaginians,  who  wished  to  reserve  if  as  a  refuge 
to  which  they  might  retire,  with  their  families,  should  their  own 
country  be  invaded."— Diod.  Bibl.,  lib.  iv.  p'.  299,  300.  Edit. 
Rhodoman. 

The  second  proof  we  have  to  adduce  is  the  testimony  of  Avitus, 
who  declares,  m  a  work  of  Seneca  himself,  "  that  ricn  and  fertile 
lands  are  situated  in  the  Great  Ocean  ;  and  that  again  other  shores 
and  another  world  lie  beyond." — Avitus  in  Scnec.  Suasor,  apu»l 
Horn,  de  Origin.  Americ. 


0P  THK   BIBLE.  41 

Mr.  d>  LassaUe. — It  is  Dot  sufficient  to  assert  this, 
my  dear  sir.     You  must  prove  it  tome,  if  you  please. 

The  Abbe. — That  is  what  1  am  about  to  do.  Above 
all,  observe  thai  the  Old  Testament  does  not  merely 
contain  a  few  isolated  prophecies.  Its  prophecies 
are  so  numerous,  and  so  closely  connected  together, 
that  one  might  regard  the  Old  Testament,  considered 
as  a  whole,  everywhere  anticipating  a  new  order  of 
things,  as  forming  one  great  prophecy.  As  soon  as 
sin  had  entered  into  the  world,  it  announces,  under 
the  name  of  "  the  Seed  of  the  woman,"  a  Restorer, 
who  will  destroy  the  work  of  the  tempter,  and  raise 
fallen  man.  From  this  passage,  which  is  found  in 
the  third  page  of  the  book,  the  Old  Testament  is  but, 
as  it  were,  a  pre-existing  history  of  the  Restorer,  and 
of  a  certain  kingdom  which  he  will  found  on  earth. 
The  country  and  the  people  of  the  Messiah  are  al- 
ready indicated  in  the  twelfth  chapter  of  Genesis. 
He  was  to  be  born  of  the  seed  of  Abraham,  in  the 
land  of  Canaan,  which  God  gave  to  Abraham  for  this 
very  purpose.  It  was  this  well-known  promise  which 
led  Abraham  to  Palestine  ;  which  brought  back  his 
descendants  after  an  exile  of  four  hundred  years  ;  in 
short,  which  formed  the  Jewish  nation.  It  is  this 
which  leads  Pascal  to  say,  that  "  there  is  a  great  dif- 
ference between  a  book  made  by  a  private  individual, 
and  sent  forth  among  a  nation,  and  one  which  makes 
a  nation  itself."  This  commencement  may  give  you 
some  idea  of  the  prominent  part  given  to  the  Messiah 
throughout  the  Old  Testament.  Take  from  Roman 
history  the  augury  of  Vettius  Valens,  and  the  twelve 
vultures  of  Romulus,  and  what  does  it  lose  ?  Noth- 
ing more  than  an  interesting  anecdote  ;  and  many 
have  learned  the  history  of  Rome  who  never  even 
heard  of  Vettius  Valens.  But  take  from  Jewish  his- 
tory the  promise  of  a  Messiah,  and  you  annihilate  it. 
You  can  no  longer  account  for  the  origin,  nor  the 
religion,  nor  the  manners,  of  this  singular  people, 
4* 


42  INSPIRATION 

whose  distinctive  characteristic  has  always  been,  and 
still  is,  the  expectation  of  a  Messiah. 

After  the  calling  of  Abraham,  you  may  trace  the 
course  of  prophecy  throughout  the  whole  of  the  Old 
Testament.  You  will  sec  it  unfold  and  display  itself, 
from  age  to  age,  from  prophet  to  prophet,  during  an 
interval  of  two  thousand  years,  till  at  length  it  is  ac- 
complished in  Jesus  Christ,  whose  name  signifies 
Jesus-Messiah.  Each  prophet,  in  his  turn,  seems 
only  to  have  been  sent  to  hear  witness  of  him,  and  to 
add  his  link  to  the  chain  of  the  narrative  in  which  we 
find  clearly  indicated  the  people  descended  from 
Abraham,  the  tribe  of  that  people,  the  family  of  that 
tribe,  the  time,  the  place,  in  which  the  Messiah 
should  appear,  with  all  that  he  would  do,  and  all  that 
would  be  done  to  him.  Hence  this  profound  expres- 
sion in  the  Apocalypse,  "  The  testimony  of  Jesus  is 
the  spirit  of  prophecy,''  Rev.  xix.  10.  And  lastly, 
remember,  that,  besides  all  these  prophecies,  or  rather 
this  perpetual  prophecy,  the  Old  Testament  contains 
a  succession  of  facts  and  institutions  which  bear 
reference  to  the  Messiah  and  to  his  work.  I  allude, 
especially,  to  those  sacrifices  which  prefigured  a  sac- 
rifice to  come,  and  to  which,  according  to  Daniel,  the 
Messiah  would  put  an  end.  And,  wonderful  to  relate  ! 
Jesus  Christ  did  indeed  put  an  end  to  them.  They 
were  constantly  offered  till  his  appearance,  but  ceased 
almost  immediately  after  his  death  ;  yet  the  Jews  have 
the  same  reason  for  offering  them  now,  which  they 
had  before  the  Christian  era,  since  they  are  still  in 
expectation  of  the  Saviour,  for  whom  their  fathers 
waited. 

Such,  sir,  is  the  great  prophetic  view  which  per- 
vades every  part  of  the  Old  Testament,  and  which, 
in  fact,  has  given  to  its  writers  the  name  of  prophets. 
Do  you  wish  to  feel  the  truth  of  this  yourself?  Open 
it  almost  any  where,  and  you  will  hardly  find  a  page 
whicn  does  not  afford  a  glimpse  into  futurity,  or 


OF    THE    niBLE.  43 

some  direct  reference  to  the  Messiah  and  his  king- 
dom. Moreover,  this  characteristic  of  the  Old 
Testament  is  sufficiently  proved  by  the  expectation 
in  winch  we  still  see  the  Jews,  who  are  the  disci- 
ples of  the  Old  Testament.  I  could  show  you  that 
they  looked  for  the  Messiah  precisely  at  the  time  of 
Christ's  birth.  But  it  suffices  for  my  purpose,  that 
they  have  always  expected  him  ;  and  that,  refusing 
to  recognise  him  in  Jesus  Christ,  they  still  expect 
him,  as  you  yourself  are  witness.  It  is  an  unques- 
tionable indication  that  they  have  found  in  their 
books,  as  1  have  just  said,  not  only  prophecies,  but 
a  constant  and  general  prophecy,  of  the  Messiah 
and  his  kingdom.  Should  a  prophecy  of  this  \ature 
be  fulfilled,  it  would  be  preposterous  to  explain  it  by 
an  accidental  coincidence,  as  might  be  the  case  with 
one  or  two  isolated  predictions.  There  can  be  no 
parity  between  the  prophecies  of  the  Old  Testament 
and  the  augury  of  Vettius  Yalens,  unless  this  augury 
had  formed  part  of  a  series  of  presages,  which  had 
succeeded  each  other,  century  after  century,  from 
the  foundation  of  Rome.  What  do  I  say  ?  from  the 
beginning  of  the  world  ;  and  had  announced,  with 
ever-increasing  precision,  the  fall  of  the  Roman 
empire. 

Lucilla. — I  think,  my  dear,  that  the  difference  is 
most  striking ;  and  that  the  Abbe  has  sufficiently 
established  this  distinction. 

Mr,  de  Lassallc. — I  do  not  exactly  deny  what  the 
Abbe  has  just  said  concerning  the  prophetic  charac- 
ter of  the  Old  Testament ;  but  1  reject  the  conclusion 
which  he  thinks  may  be  drawn  from  it.  That  this 
book  contains  a  compact  and  continuous  prophecy,  I 
allow.  This  you  have  proved  ;  and  I  was  already, 
in  some  degree,  aware  of  it.  But  the  generality  and 
the  extent  of  the  prophecy  do  not  prevent  its  acci- 
dental fulfilment.  It  is  simply  a  single  prophecy, 
reproduced  under  different  forms  ;  the  prophets  hav- 


44  INSPIRATION 

ing  copied  one  another.  Why  should  it  not  fall  in 
with  the  event,  as  well  as  the  augury  of  Vattius 
Valens,  or  the  prediction  of  Seneca  ?  The  very 
generality  of  the  prophecy  is  a  facility  in  its  favor. 
That  which  is  more  general  is  also  more  vague,  and 
more  easily  adapted  to  any  application  it  may  chance 
to  encounter. 

The  Abbe. — This  would  all  be  very  well,  if  we 
found  in  the  Old  Testament  nothing  but  a  general 
prophecy.  But  on  this  general  prophecy  rise  and 
rest  a  multitude  of  special  prophecies,  which  enter 
into  the  detail  of  events,  and  characterize  the  Mes- 
siah with  a  precision  which  could  find  no  coinci- 
dence in  mere  fortuitous  occurrences.  So  true  is 
this,  that  if  you  chose,  you  might  collect  materials  for 
writing  a  brief  history  of  the  Messiah  from  the 
prophets  alone  :  a  history  which  you  would  after- 
wards find  in  the  New  Testament,  accomplished, 
fact  for  fact,  in  Jesus  Christ.  Do  you  inquire  at 
what  time  the  Messiah  will  appear  ?  Daniel  pre- 
dicts (ix.  24-27,)  that  he  will  come  seventy  weeks 
(weeks  of  years),  or  four  hundred  and  ninety  years 
after  the  going  forth  of  a  commandment  to  release 
the  Jews  from  their  captivity,  and  to  rebuild  Jerusa- 
lem ;  and  Haggai,  (ii.  6-9,)  that  he  shall  honor  the 
second  temple  with  his  presence.  (See  also  Mai. 
iii.  1.)  Jesus  appears  at  the  appointed  time,  reckon- 
ing from  the  edict  of  Artaxerxes,  and  often  shows 
himself  in  the  second  temple,  which  was  burned  by 
Titus  forty  years  afterwards,  as  Daniel  states  in  the 
same  passage.  In  what  place  will  he  be  born  1 
Micah  informs  us,  (v.  2,)  that  it  is  in  the  tribe  of 
Judah,  in  the  little  town  of  Bethlehem.  From  what 
family  will  he  descend  ?  To  this  a  whole  train  of 
prophets  reply,  that  he  will  descend  from  Abraham, 
(Gen.  xii.  3  ;  xxii.  18,)  in  the  line  of  Isaac,  (Gen. 
xxvi.  3,  4,)  then  of  Jacob,  (Gen.  xxviii.  14  ;  Num. 
xxiv.  17,)  then  of  Judah,  (Gen.  xlix.  10,)  and  thus  in 


OF    THE    BIBLE.  45 

succession  to  David,  (lsa.  xi.  1  ;  Jer.  xxxiii.  15.) 
You  remember  that  Jesus  was  born  at  Bethlehem, 
and  of  the  family  of  David.  Do  you  wish  to  know 
the  events  of  his  life,  with  those  which  will  precede 
his  birth,  and  succeed  his  death  ?  All  this  is  written 
in  the  Old  Testament  :  and  if  you  connect  the  pre- 
dictions which  I  am  about  to  read,  with  the  cor- 
responding passages  in  the  Gospels,  which  I  will 
also  show  you,  you  will  find  the  accomplishment  as 
exact  as  the  prophecy  is  circumstantial.  He  shall 
send  a  prophet,  who  will  prepare  the  way  before 
him.  (Mai.  iii.  1  ;  lsa.  xl.  3-5.)  You  recognise  John 
the  Baptist.  He  shall  be  despised  of  man,  Mes- 
siah though  he  is,  and  shall  present  an  unheard-of 
union  of  greatness  and  abasement.  (lsa.  liii.)  This 
celebrated  chapter  has  been  called  a  fifth  Gospel. 
He  shall  enter  into  Jerusalem  seated  on  an  ass. 
(Zech.  ix.  9,  compared  with  Matt.  xxi.  1-9.)  He 
shall  be  betrayed  by  a  friend,  and  sold  for  thirty 
pieces  of  silver,  which  shall  afterwards  be  paid  to  a 
potter.  (Psa.  xli.  9;  Zech.  xi.  12,  13,  with  Matt. 
xxvi.  15;  xxvii.  3-7.)  He  shall  be  condemned  as  a 
malefactor  ;  and  he  shall  submit  to  his  unjust  sen- 
tence with  lamb-like  resignation.  (lsa.  liii.  6,  7, 
12,  with  the  entire  account  of  the  passion.)  They 
shall  pierce  his  hands  and  his  feet ;  they  shall  part 
his  garments  among  them,  and  cast  lots  upon  his 
vesture.  (Psa.  xxii.  16-18,  with  John  xix.  18,  23, 
24.)  He  shall  be  laughed  to  scorn  in  the  midst  of 
his  most  fearful  agonies.  (Psa.  xxii.  2,  7-9,  with 
Matt,  xxvii.  39-44.)  They  shall  give  him  to  drink 
vinegar  mingled  with  gall.  (Psa.  lxix.  21,  with  Matt. 
xxvii.  34.)  Though  destined  to  be  buried  with  the 
wicked,  he  shall,  on  the  contrary,  make  his  grave 
with  the  rich.  (lsa.  liii.  9,  with  Matt,  xxvii.  38. 
57-60.)  When  all  will  seem  lost,  then  his  triumph 
shall  begin.  After  his  death  his  work  shall  be 
crowned  with  full  success ;  and  his  doctrine,  reject- 


46  INSPIRATION 

ed  by  the  Jews,  shall  subdue  kings  and  nations,  and 
at  length  cover  the  whole  earth.  (Isa.  liii.  10-12; 
xlix.  1-8;  Gen.  xxii.  18.)  Are  these,  sir,  vague  and 
equivocal  predictions,  which  may  be  applied  to  any 
one,  or  which  chance  alone  might  undertake  to 
realize  ]  Show  me,  in  all  history,  another  man,  be- 
sides Jesus  Christ,  to  whom  the  whole  of  these  facts, 
though  they  form  but  a  small  portion  of  the  prophecy, 
may  be  applied  :  a  man  born  in  Bethlehem,  of  the 
family  of  David,  at  the  time  when  the  second  tem- 
ple was  in  existence,  but  shortly  before  its  destruc- 
tion ;  who  was  betrayed,  sold  for  thirty  pieces  of  sil- 
ver, put  to  an  ignominious  death,  like  a  felon,  and 
nevertheless  buried  like  a  rich  man  ;  in  short,  who 
was  at  once  the  most  despised  and  the  most  honored 
of  mankind  ;  and  who,  rejected  during  his  lifetime, 
and  believed  in  only  after  his  death,  has  produced  a 
universal  revolution  in  the  world. 

Mr.  de  Lassalle. — Sir,  I  am  no  sophist.  I  will 
not  maintain  that  the  fulfilment  of  prophecies  so 
explicit  as.  these  can  be  explained  by  chance,  like 
that  of  the  augury  of  Yalens,  or  the  presentiment  of 
Seneca.  But  that  which  I  cannot  help  contesting 
is,  the  meaning  you  give  to  the  prophecies  of  the 
Old  Testament.  I  do  not  consider  them  in  the  same 
light  that  you  do.  There  is  hardly  one  that  is  ex- 
pressed in  clear  and  natural  terms  5  and  the  greater 
part  are  so  involved  in  the  recital  of  contemporary 
events,  that  it  is  very  difficult  to  distinguish  what  re- 
fers to  the  present,  from  what  refers  to  the  future. 
Why  is  not  the  language  of  prophecy  as  lucid  as 
that  of  history  itself?  Take,  for  instance,  the  first 
three  or  four  predictions  you  have  just  shown  me. 
How  do  I  know  that  this  "  Desire  of  all  nations," 
of  whom  Ha<:gai  speaks,  or  "  He  that  is  to  be  Ruler 
in  Israel,"  whom  Micafa  tells  us  will  be  born  in 
Bethlehem,  is  indeed  the  Messiah  ?  Neither  can  1 
be  sure  whether  he  is  referred  to  in  "  the  Seed  of 


OF    THE    BIBLE.  47 

Abraham,"  nor,  especially,  in  this  "  Star  coming 
out  of  Jacob,"  to  which  you  may  give  whatever  in- 
terpretation you  like.  How  can  1  know  that  the 
11  seventy  weeks"  of  Daniel  are  weeks  of  years  ? 
All  this,  I  must  confess,  appears  to  me  rather  ob- 
scure ;  and  in  order  to  give  any  weight  to  your  ar- 
gument, it  ought  to  be  clear  as  the  day. 

The  Able. — You  here  raise  a  real  difficulty.  This  is 
the  only  point  in  my  argument  that  is  open  to  attack  ; 
and  1  feel  the  force  of  your  observation.  Were  you 
of  a  disputatious  spirit,  I  do  not  even  know  whether 
you  would  not  escape  me  here  ;  but  1  am  sure  that 
such  is  not  the  case.  I  willingly  do  you  this  justice, 
and  believe  you  will  be  fully  satisfied  by  the  con- 
siderations 1  am  about  to  offer. 

In  the  first  place,  I  agree  that  the  language  of 
prophecy  is  not,  in  general,  so  clear  as  that  of  his- 
tory. Why  ?  Various  reasons  have  been  given. 
On  this  subject  we  can  only  form  conjectures  ;  and  I 
confine  myself  to  a  single  observation.  This  partial 
obscurity  of  prophecy  harmonizes  with  the  whole  of 
God's  providential  plan.  For,  in  the  first  place,  God 
lays  no  restraint  on  the  freedom  of  man ;  and  he 
would  be  constrained  to  do  so  with  respect  to  certain 
prophecies,  if  they  were  such  as  you  require  ;  because 
the  enemies  of  the  faith  might  then  undertake  to  pre- 
vent their  accomplishment.  They  must  be  so  situated, 
that  they  can  fulfil  the  prophecy  without  being  aware 
of  it  themselves.  Besides,  God  does  not  force  man's 
conviction.  He  does  not,  render  truth  so  self-evident 
that  there  remains  nothing  for  man  to  do.  On  the 
contrary,  he  every  where  obliges  him  to  seek  and  to 
pursue  it,  inasmuch  as  religion  consists  rather  in  the 
feelings  of  the  heart,  than  in  the  opinions  of  the 
mind.  This  remark  is  not  applicable  to  revealed 
religion  only:  it  is  the  same  with  natural  religion. 
The  existence  of  God,  and  the  immortality  of  the 
soul,  of  which  you  do  not  doubt ;  do  they  seem  to 


48  INSPIRATION 

you  as  clear  as  the  day?  W  such  is  the  case,  the 
profession  of  the  "  Vicaire  Savoyard"  might  have 
been  much  shorter  than  it  really  is.  J)o  not,  then, 
require  in  favor  of  revelation  evidence  which  reason 
Itself  does  not   possess;   and  since   you   arc  satisfied 

Huh  proofs  in  favor  of  the  existence  of  God,  and  of 

a  future  state,  which  suffice  to  persuade  a  candid 
mind,  be  satisfied  if  prophecies  are  sufficiently  clear 
to  enable  you  to  ascertain,  after  the  event,  that  they 
had  previously  announced  it.  We  have  this  in  the 
Old  Testament ;  and  we  have  still  more :  we  have 
even  all  that  is  requisite  to  foresee  the  event ;  at 
least  when  it  is  of  great  importance. 

Besides,  sir,  there  are  in  the  Old  Testament  pro- 
phecies  much  less  obscure  than  the  generality  of 
those  concerning  the  Messiah.  On  this  point  they 
could  hardly  have  been  so  clear  as  you  desire,  with- 
out the  Christian  religion  being  proclaimed  at  the 
same  time  as  the  Jewish,  which  would  have  inter- 
rupted the  progressive  march  of  revelation.  They 
are  involved,  you  say,  in  the  relation  of  contemporary 
events.  This  is  true  ;  but  it  is  by  this  means  that 
they  are  introduced.  What  they  thus  lose  in  clear- 
ness, they  gain  in  depth  and  extensiveness.  But  I 
could  show  you  other  prophecies,  much  clearer  than 
these,  and  nearly  such  as  you  require.  A  brief 
history  of  Egypt  has  been  written  from  the  prophe- 
cies ;  and  the  predictions  of  Daniel  concerning  the 
four  monarchies  gave  Rollin  the  plan  of  his  Ancient 
History.  But  you  are  not  yet  prepared  to  bear  pro- 
phecies so  precise.  You  now  complain  of  a  want 
of  clearness  :  you  would  then  complain  that  there 
was  too  much.  "  This  is  not  prophecy,"  you  would 
say  ;  "  it  is  history  ;"  and  its  very  clearness  would 
cause  you  to  doubt.  I  speak  from  personal  experi- 
ence. I  have  found  more  faith  required  to  believe 
prophecies  perfectly  intelligible,  than  to  believe  those 
which  remained  slightly  veiled  till  the  time  of  the 


OF    'I  HE    BIB!  r 


49 


Went.  Because  wi  feel  that,  generally  speaking, 
the  Language  of  prophecy  neither  can  be,  nor  ought 

to  be,  as  lucid  as  thai  of  history.  Shall  I  tell  you 
where  you  will  find  prophecies  in  exact  accordance 
with  your  ideas,  and  (dear  as  the  day?  In  the  apo- 
cryphal writings.  There  is  a  book,  falsely  ascribed 
to  Uaiah,  and  entitled.  "The  Ascension  of  Isaiah." 
There  you  will  find  announced  in  detail,  the  resur- 
rection of  Jesus  Christ,  wiili  the  number  of  his  dis- 
ciples, their  labors  in  this  world,  etc.  You  might 
imagine  you  were  reading  the  Acts  of  the  Apostles. 
But  here  it  is  that  you  feel  the  difference  between  the 
work  of  God,  and  the  work  of  man  :  and  I  have  not 
the  least  doubt,  that  if  the  prophecies  of  the  Old 
Testament  had  been  written  alter  the  event,  they 
would  have  be<  n  sufficiently  clear  to  betray  their 
human  origin,  and  to  destroy  all  confidence  in  their 
authenticity.  Such  as  they  are,  they  possess  a 
degree  of  light  which,  I  repeat,  enables  you,  not  only 
to  recognise  the  event  which  they  predict — which 
would  Buffice — but  also  to  foresee  it. 

We  must  here  make  an  important  observation.  If 
the  prophecies  of  the  Old  Testament  are  wanting  in 
clearness,  when  each  is  considered  separately,  the 
case  is  altered,  sir,  when  they  are  regarded  as  a 
whole,  and  each  one  is  viewed  in  its  connexion  with 
prophecy  in  general.  What  would  otherwise  be 
obscure,  is  no  longer  so  when  placed  in  this  light ; 
because  the  promise,  which  is  every  where  found, 
dispels  whatever  uncertainty  might  remain.  Thus 
when  it  is  said,  "  He  that  is  to  be  Ruler  in  Israel," 
will  be  born  in  Bethlehem,  we  cannot  tell,  you  say, 
whether  the  Messiah  or  some  Jewish  prince  is 
meant.  I  might  reply,  that  the  words  which  follow, 
"Whose  goings  forth  have  been  from  of  old,  from 
everlasting,"  are  sufficient  to  clear  up  any  doubts  on 
this  subject ;  since  the  Messiah  only  is  the  ever- 
lasting King.  But  should  this  elucidation  be  with- 
5 


50 


INSPIRATION 


held,  still  there  could  be  no  ambiguity  here,  in  the 
Old  Testament,  which  speaks  from  the  beginning  to 

the  end  of  a  Messiah  to  come.  The  very  fact,  that 
vou  find  no  one  else  to  whom  this  passage  may  be 
applied,  compels  you  to  apply  it  to  the  Messiah  him- 
seLT.  The  same  thing  may  be  said  of  "the  Desire 
of  all  nations,"  who  should  appear  in  the  second 
em  pie.  We  are  constrained  to  allow  that  this  refers 
tf/  the  Messiah,  even  were  we  not  convinced  by  what 
precedes  and  what  follows ;  especially  when  we 
connect  it  with  this  prediction  of  Malachi,  (iii.  1  :) 
"  The  Lord,  whom  ye  seek,  shall  suddenly  come  to 
his  temple,  even  the  messenger  of  the  covenant  whom 
ye  delight  in."  The  same  observation  holds  good 
respecting  the  words  used  to  designate  the  line  from 
which  the  Messiah  should  descend  :  "  The  Seed  of 
Abraham  ;"  "  the  Star  of  Jacob."  The  word  "  star" 
is  used  in  the  figurative  style  of  the  prophets,  to 
signify  a  man  who  exercises  high  authority,  or  who 
occupies  a  brilliant  position.  This  "  star,"  which 
"  shall  come  out  of  Jacob,"  might  apply  to  anyone  in 
an  ordinary  book ;  but  in  the  Old  Testament  it  can 
mean  no  other  than  the  Messiah.  Besides,  all  these 
predictions  hold  together;  and  when  I  see  clearly 
announced,  (Jer.  xxxiii.  15,)  that  the  Messiah  will 
descend  from  David,  I  am  completely  assured  that  I 
have  rightly  interpreted  "  the  Star  of  Jacob,"  and 
"the  Seed  of  Abraham;"  since,  descending  from 
David,  he  must  necessarily  descend  from  Judah, 
Jacob,  Isaac,  and  Abraham.  As  to  the  "  weeks"  of 
Daniel,  that  is  another  question.  It  is  an  under- 
stood fact,  that  "  day"  is  used  for  "  year"  in  prophetic 
language.  All  Hebrew  dictionaries  are  agreed  on 
this  point,  even  those  which  are  made  by  unbelievers. 
Daniel  may  have  been  more  easily  led  to  express 
himself  thus,  as  he  places  the  seventy  weeks  of 
»  years,  which  were  to  follow  the  captivity,  in  contrast 


OF    THE    BIBLE.  5] 

with  tin1  seventy  years  during  which  the  captivity 

had  lasted. 

Mr.  <l'  Lassalle. — I  set-  the  bearing  of  your  ob- 
servation, on  the  Light  which  special  predictions 
derive  from  general  prophecy.  But  I  am  not  con- 
vinced. 1  believe  that  it'  I  had  lived  before  Christ, 
and  it'  I  had  been  a  Jew,  a  believing  Jew,  I  should 
have  had  great  difficulty  in  foreseeing,  as  you  Bay, 
the  history  of  the  Messiah,  even  in  its  most  striking 
features. 

Thi  Abbe. — Your  remark  is  most  opportune.  You 
remind  me  of  a  very  simple  argument  which  I  had 
overlooked,  and  which  will  enable  me  to  dispense 
with  every  other.  The  very  thing  which  you  imagine 
impossible,  has  been  done;  and  the  best  proof  that 
the  prophecies  are  not  involved  in  such  obscurity,  is, 
that  they  were  understood  before  the  event. 

Mr.  de  Lassalle. — Understood  !  and  by  whom  ? 

The  Abbe. — By  the  Jews.  This  fact  alone,  that 
the  Jewrs  have  always  expected  a  Messiah,  proves,  at 
least,  that  they  found  no  obscurity  in  the  general 
prophecy  of  the  Old  Testament.  And  you  will  soon 
see  that  they  found  none  in  the  more  important  of  the 
special  prophecies.  They  understood  that  the  Mes- 
siah would  appear  at  the  time  when  Jesus  Christ  was 
born.  They  understood  this  so  well,  and  so  long  be- 
fore the  event,  that  they  had  time  to  communicate 
their  impressions  on  the  subject  to  the  surrounding 
nations,  and  throughout  the  whole  extent  of  the  Roman 
empire.  The  history  of  the  New  Testament  shows 
us  that  this  expectation  generally  prevailed  among 
the  Jews  ;  and  profane  historians  inform  us  that  its 
fame  had  reached  even  Rome,  where  they  knew  not 
what  to  think  of  it.  You  have  not,  perhaps,  forgot- 
ten this  celebrated  passage  of  Tacitus,  in  his  narra- 
tion of  the  siege  of  Jerusalem,  (Hist.  v.  13  :)  "  If  we 
may  believe  the  assertion  of  a  great  number  of  men, 
it  was  written  in  the  ancient  books  of  the  priests,  that 


Si  INSPIRATION 

just  al  this  time  hi  East  would  acquire  tlio  prepon- 
derance, and  the  empire  would  fall  into  the  hands  of 
men  coming  from  Judea."  This  testimony  is  corro- 
borated by  thai  of  Suetonius,  who  says,  speaking  also 
of  the  reign  of  Vespasian,  (i.  1  :)  "  It  was  an  old, 
firmly  esta  and  prevalent  opinion,  throughout 

the  East,  tint  soothsayers  bad  promised  the  empire, 
at  this  very  epoch,  to  men  coming  from  Judea."  The 
Jews  had  also  understood  that  the  Messiah  would 
descend  from  the  house  of  David;  for  they  called 
him,  as  we  see  in  the  New  Testament  (Matt.  xxii.  42), 
and  they  still  call  him.  ''the  Son  of  David."  They 
had  understood  that  lie  would  be  born  in  Bethlehem, 
tor  they  gave  information  to  that  effect  to  Herod,  on 
the  faith  of  the  same  prophecy  of  Micah,  which  you 
did  not  think  sufficiently  clear  ;  and  it  was  for  this 
reason  that  Herod  caused  the  children  of  Bethlehem 
to  be  slaughtered,  imagining  this  "  King  of  the  Jews," 
whom  every  one  expected,  to  be  a  temporal  sove- 
reign, who  would  succeed  him  in  authority.  And  as 
you  have  spoken  of  the  "  Star  of  Jacob,"  I  will  add, 
that  it  was  clearly  understood  to  mean  the  Messiah; 
siii<-e  the  false  Messiah,  Coziba,  took  the  name  of 
Barcochab,  or  "  Son  of  the  star,"  in  allusion  to  this 
prophecy  of  Balaam.* 

After  this,  sir,  I  have  reason  to  conclude,  that  the 
prophecies  of  the  Old  Testament  are  not  so  obscure 
but  that  we  can  affirm  they  agree  with  the  history  of 
Jesus  Christ ;  and  this  agreement,  once  acknowl- 
edged, cannot  be  explained  by  an  accidental  coinci- 
dence. The  prediction  is,  at  the  same  time,  too  full 
and  too  circumstantial.  The  general  prophecy  will 
not  allow  us  to  mistake  the  sense  of  the  special 
prophecies,  which  it  concentrates  on  the  Messiah 
and  his  work  ;  and  the  special  prophecies,  in  their 
turn,  will  not  allow  us  to  magnify  the  first  impostor 
into  the  Messiah,  since  they  characterize  him  too 
*  Basnago,  History  of  the  Jews,  p.  315. 


OF    THE    BIBLE.  53 

exactly  to  admit  of  a  mistake.  When  united,  they 
form  a  perfecl  whol< — a  muss,  a  body  of  predictions, 
whose  accomplishment  we  cannot  possibly  ascribe  to 
accident  ;  especially  when  you  consider  that,  while  so 
many  points  are  verified  in  Jesus  Christ,  not  one  is 
contradicted.  As  to  myself,  I  assure  you  that,  were 
I  in  the  present  ease  to  imagine  a  fortuitous  coinci- 
dence, I  should  consider  myself  as  falling  into  error, 
impossibility,  and  absurdity.  I  had  rather  believe  the 
miracles  of  God,  than  those  of  chance  ;  and  if  I  can 
find  no  other  explanation  of  the  agreement  of  the  event 
with  prophecy,  to  escape  the  imputation  of  credulity, 
I  see  no  refuge  but  in  faith. 

Lucilla. — My  dear,  I  am  afraid  your  first  strong- 
hold is  in  danger. 

Mr.  de  Lassalle. — Oh  !  you,  my  love,  are  always 
ready  to  yield  at  the  first  shot.  However,  we  have 
a  considerable  force  in  reserve.  I  will  suppose  that 
the  agreement  of  the  event  with  the  prophecy  cannot 
be  explained  without  a  preconcerted  plan.  I  say  that 
this  plan  is  of  men,  and  not  of  God.  In  fact,  this 
hypothesis  is  more  probable  than  the  other  ;  and  I 
ought  to  have  chosen  it  in  the  first  place.  Fraud  has 
been  employed  in  this  instance,  as  in  every  revela- 
tion, past,  present,  and  to  come.  Pious  fraud  !  to  this 
we  know  the  church  is  no  stranger. 

The  Abbe. — We  are  not  speaking  of  the  church. 
but  of  prophecy  :  let  us  not  digress,  I  pray.  It  is  no 
longer  by  chance,  but  by  fraud,  that  you  undertake  to 
explain  prophecy.  Fraud  !  It  is  very  evident  from 
this  unworthy  supposition,  that  you  are  no  better  ac- 
quainted with  the  New  Testament  than  with  the  Old. 
Had  you  read  it,  even  in  a  cursory  manner,  you  must 
have  been  struck  at  every  page  by  a  candor,  a  sim- 
plicity, a  naturalness,  not  to  be  found  in  the  same 
degree  in  any  other  book  ;  and  you  would  have  ac- 
knowledged  that  the  apostles  had  no  other  reward  to 
expect  for  so  infamous  a  deception,  than  persecution 
5* 


54  INSPIRATION 

and  martyrdom.  Upon  your  hypothesis,  how  inex- 
plicable  is  their  conduct  and  language  !  Truly,  you 
only  leave  one  difficult)  to  encounter  a  greater.  "  The 
gospel  bears  an  imprint  of  truth  so  great,  so  >t riking, 
so  inimitable,  that  its  inventor  would  be  more  won- 
derful  than  its  hero."  Von  recognise  the  quotation? 
However,  for  the  Bake  of  argument,  I  will  consent  to 
do  violence  to  my  feelings,  and  my  reason,  and  will 
suppose  thai  the  apostles  intended  to  deceive  men 
concerning  the  prophecies.  Could  theydoso?  This 
question  will  suffice  me.  How  would  they  have  set 
to  w  ork  I 

Mr.  de  Lassalle. —  In  one  of  the  two  ways  which 
you  suggested  when  amplifying  Rousseau's  original 
idea;  they  either  made  the  event  for  the  prophecy, 
or  the  prophecy  for  the  event. 

The  Abbe. — Which  do  you  choose  ? 

Mr.  de  Lassa/le. — They  adapted  the  event  to  suit 
the  prophecy.  The  prophecy  existed  in  the  Old 
Testament.  They  had  only  to  make  the  event 
agree  with  the  prophecy,  by  purposely  arranging 
it  to  that  effect.  Is  there  anything  incredible  in 
this  ? 

The  Abbe. — I  see  with  pleasure  that  you  no  longer 
find  prophecy  so  very  obscure  ;  for,  before  the  event 
could  be  arranged  to  suit  it,  it  must  necessarily  have 
been  understood.  But  pray  explain  yourself.  Did 
they  take  measures  in  order  thai  the  predicted  events 
might  really  occur?  or  did  they  relate  them  as  having 
happened,  when,  in  fact,  nothing  of  the  kind  had  re- 
ally come  to  pass  ?  Did  they  direct  history,  or  did 
they  invent  it  ? 

Mr.  de  Lassalle. — Both  :  there  are  so  many  ways 
of  deceiving  men  !  We  have  more  than  one  string 
to  our  bow. 

The  Abbe. — As  many  as  you  please  ;  but  remember 
one  good  string  is  better  than  two  bad  ones. 

Mr.  de  Lassalle. — But,  in  fact,  why  could  not  the 


Of    THE    BIBLE.  55 

principal  events  in  the  life  of  Jesus  Christ  have  been 
BO  directed  as  to  correspond  with  prophecy  !  You 
tell  me,  tor  instance,  thai  the  Messiah,  according  to 
Zechariah,  would  enter  Jerusalem  seated  on  an  ass. 
( lould  not  the  disciples  of  Jesus  take  an  ass,  and  seat 
their  Master  upon  it,  that  they  might  afterwards  be 
able  to  say  that  the  prediction  of  Zechariah  had  been 
fulfilled  in  his  person  ? 

The  Abbe. — Agreed  :  they  might  have  done  so  in 
this  instance,  and  perhaps  in  several  others.  But 
could  they  have  done  so  for  the  whole  prophecy  ? 
Consider,  sir,  a  prophecy  comprehending  an  entire 
system  of  predictions,  some  relating  to  the  most  im- 
portant events,  others  to  the  minutest  circumstances: 
a  prophecy  bearing  not  only  on  every  fact  connected 
with  the  life  of  a  man,  and  that  man  the  Messiah  ; 
but,  also,  on  what  would  occur  both  before  and  after 
his  appearance.  The  impossibility  of  this  is  evident. 
There  were  predictions  concerning  the  infancy  of  the 
Messiah,  concerning  his  birth,  the  mission  of  a  proph- 
et who  would  precede  him.  Had  they  chosen  Jesus 
to  be  the  pretended  object  of  these  prophecies  even 
before  he  came  into  the  world  ?  Did  they  purposely 
cause  him  to  be  born  in  Bethlehem  ?  Did  they  send 
before  him  a  false  precursor,  and  make  a  John  the 
Baptist  in  anticipation  of  the  time  when  they  should 
make  a  Jesus  Christ  1  There  were  predictions  which 
announced  the  Messiah  as  "  a.  man  of  sorrow,  and 
acquainted  with  grief,"  and  as  destined  to  suffer  a 
fearful  death.  Were  they  so  assured  of  Christ's  com- 
placency, that,  after  having  chosen  him  without  his 
consent,  they  could  depend  upon  him  to  sustain  his 
part  to  the  end,  and  cause  himself  to  be  hated,  perse- 
cuted, arrested,  crucified  ?  But  there  were,  also, 
many  predictions  concerning  the  enemies  of  the  Mes- 
siah. When  the  Roman  soldiers  nailed  Christ's  body 
to  the  cross,  and  pierced  his  hands  and  feet,  accord- 
ing to  Psalm  xxii.  ;  when  the  scribes  and  Pharisees 


56  INSPIRATION 

accomplished  to  the  very  letter  another  part  of  this 
Psalm,  by  Laughing  him  to  scorn  on  the  very  cross  ;* 
when  the  Jews  rejected  Christ,  and  clamored  lor  his 
death  ;  and  then,  a  lew  days  after,  were  converted  by 
thousands,  and  adored  him  as  their  Lord  and  their  God  ; 
did  they  thus  act  in  obedience  to  the  apostles  ?  and 
did  a  few  Galilean  fishermen  thus  dispose  at  will  of 
the  sanhedrim,  of  the  Jewish  people,  of  Pilate,  and 
of  the  Roman  empire  ?  Apply  the  same  hypothesis 
to  the  history  of  our  own  time,  and  you  will  then  feel 
how  utterly  insupportable  it  is.  Suppose  a  manu- 
script should  be  discovered,  bearing  the  date  of  the 
twelfth  century,  in  which  it  should  be  predicted  that 
in  the  course  of  six  hundred  years  a  man  should  be 
born  at  Ajaccio,  in  Corsica,  whom  a  terrible  revolu- 
tion would  make  master  of  France  ;  who  would  carry 
his  victorious  arms  from  the  Rhine  to  the  Nile,  and 
fill  the  whole  world  with  his  fame  ;  who  would  con- 
quer united  Europe  at  Marengo,  Austerlitz,  and  Jena  ; 
who  would  be  suddenly  arrested  in  the  midst  of  his 
career  ;  who  would  find  his  power  annihilated  in  an 
expedition  against  a  great  northern  monarch  ;  and 
who,  lastly,  after  a  brief  exile,  would  reascend  the 
throne,  again  be  driven  from  it,  and  be  sent  to  die  in 
a  remote  and  desolate  island.  Suppose  further,  that 
certain  persons  should  thence  conclude  that  the  au- 
thor of  this  manuscript  possessed  the  gift  of  prophecy. 

•  "  But  I  am  a  worm,  and  no  man  ;  a  reproach  of  men,  and  de- 
spised of  the  people.  All  they  that  see  me,  laugh  me  to  scorn  : 
they  shoot  out  the  lip,  they  shake  the  head,  Baying,  He  trusted  on 
the  Lord  that  he  would  deliver  him,  let  him  deliver  him,  seeing  he 
delighted  in  him."  Psa.  xxii.  6— S.  "And  they  that  passed  by 
reviled  him,  wagging  their  heads,  and  saying,  Thou  that  de- 
stroyest  the  temple,  and  buildest  it  in  three  days,  save  thyself. 
If  thou  be  the  Son  of  God,  come  down  from  the  cross.  Like- 
wise also  the  chief  priests  mocking  him,  with  the  scribes  and 
elders,  said,  He  saved  others  ;  himself  he  cannot  save.  If  he  be 
the  Ling  of  Israel,  let  him  now  com?  down  from  the  cross,  and 
we  will  believe  him.  He  trusted  in  God  ;  let  him  deliver  him 
now,  if  he  will  have  him :  for  he  said,  I  an  the  Son  of  God," 
Matt,  xxvii.  39 — 43. 


OF    THE    BIBLE.  57 

What  would  you  think  of  the  man  who  should  attempt 
to  silence  them  by  saving,  "  I  can  explain  the  mys- 
tery.  All  this  is  nothing  bui  a  preconcerted  scheme.    \ 

secret  society.  aware  of  this  prediction,  and  wishing 
it  to  be  considered  us  n  prophecy,  have  originated  aU 
these  events  for  the  purpose  of  verifying  it." 

Mr.  de  Lassalle. — it  is  true  that  this  direction  of 
events  is  more  difficult  than  I  imagined.  It  would 
be  less  so  to  invent  them  :  and  this  the  apostles  might 
have  done.  There  is  nothing  impracticable  in  their 
having  related  a  tissue  of  false  occurrences,  such  as 
would  agree  with  the  prophecy.  They  might  have 
said  that  Jesus  was  born  at  Bethlehem,  though  he 
was  born  elsewhere  ;  that  he  was  crucified,  though  he 
died  a  natural  death  ;  and  that  his  doctrine  was  re- 
jected during  his  life,  and  received  after  his  death, 
though  there  might  be  no  truth  in  either  of  these  as- 
sertions.    What  hindered  them  from  inventing? 

The  Abbe. — What !  Every  thing.  History,  which 
at  an  age  so  well  known  as  that  of  Jesus  Christ — 
the  age  of  Augustus,  Tiberius,  Tacitus,  Suetonius — 
would  never  have  accredited  so  flagrant  a  lie  ;  while 
nowhere  do  we  find  the  statement  of  the  apostles  con- 
tradicted ;  nowhere  do  we  find  the  slightest  trace  of 
the  real  facts,  supposing  your  hypothesis  to  be  true. 
The  Jews,  especially,  in  the  midst  of  whom  Jesus 
Christ  had  lived,  in  whose  presence  the  apostles  first 
began  to  preach,*  and  who  were  as  much  opposed  to 
the  disciples  as  they  had  been  to  the  Master  ;  would 
they,  I  ask,  have  allowed  them  to  ascribe  to  Jesus 
Christ,  not  only  certain  actions,  but  a  complete  his- 
tory, without  protesting  against  so  shameless  an  im- 
posture ?  And  while  they  sought  every  opportunity 
against  them,f  would  they  have  neglected  so  easy  a 
means  of  confounding  them  before  all  the  people? 
Sir,  excuse  my  frankness  ;  these  are  thoughts  which 
may,  indeed,  suggest  themselves  to  the  mind  of  a 
•  Acts  ii.  f  Acts  iv.  v. 


58  INSPIRATION 

man  who  looks  out  for  a  new  hypothesis,  the  moment 
his  former  one  fails  him,  but  which  cannot  stand  be- 
fore a  quarter  of  an  hour's  calm  reflection.  Tore- 
vert  to  the  imagined  prophecy  of  Napoleon.  Would 
you  not  consider  that  man  a  fool,  who  affirmed  that 
the  whole  history  of  this  distinguished  personage  was 
arranged  expressly  for  its  fulfilment?  But  should  you 
have  a  more  favorable  opinion  of  him,  who  would 
waive  the  difficulty,  by  saying  that  this  history  was 
merely  a  fiction,  composed  by  writers  whose  interest 
it  was  to  verify  the  prophecy  ;  and  that  Napoleon 
never  existed  ;  or,  that  he  had  never  performed  the 
actions  which  have  been  ascribed  to  him  ?*  Yet  this 
assertion  would  not  be  more  tenable  than  that  of  the 
infidel  who  accuses  the  apostles  of  having  invented 
the  life  of  their  Master.  In  some  respects,  I  affirm 
that  it  would  be  even  less  so.  For,  besides  the  fact 
that  no  one  would  be  so  deeply  interested  in  contra- 
dicting the  false  historians  of  Napoleon,  as  would 
have  been  the  Jews  in  contradicting  those  of  Jesus 
Christ,  the  life  of  Christ  occupies  a  far  different 
place  in  the  annals  of  the  world  than  does  even  that 
of  Napoleon.  What !  ancient  and  modern  history, 
which  unite  in  bearing  testimony  to  Jesus  Christ, 
would  they  unite  in  bearing  testimony  to  an  imagi- 
nary being  ?  and  would  they  both  rest  upon  a  tissue 
of  falsehoods,  owing  to  the  inconceivable  audacity  of 
the  apostles,  and  the  still  more  inconceivable  silence 
of  their  adversaries  ?  Leave  such  hypotheses  to  a 
Dupuy,  or  a  Volney ;  and  be  satisfied  with  the  skep- 
ticism of  Rousseau.  He,  at  least,  never  fell  so  low  ; 
and  you  cannot  have  forgotten  this  beautiful  passage : 
"  Shall  we  say  that  the  history  of  the  gospel  was  in- 
vented at  will  ?  My  friend,  it  is  not  thus  that  men  in- 
vent ;  and  the  deeds  of  Socrates,  of  which  no  one 

♦See  the  witty  pamphlet  of  M.  Peres,  in  which  lie  proves  the 
non-existence  of  Napoleon,  by  the  same  arguments  which  are 
used  by  Dupuy,  against  the  personal  existence  of  Jesus  Christ. 


OF    THK    BIBLE.  59 

doubts,  are  less  authentic  than  those  of  Jesus  Christ. 
In  tact,  you  evade  the  difficulty,  without  removing  it. 
It  would  be  more  inconceivable  that  several  men 
should  agree  to  fabricate  this  book,  than  that  a  single 
one  should  be  found  who  could  furnish  its  subject." 

Mr,  de  Lassalle. — I  am  not  convinced  that  the  diffi- 
culties in  the  case  of  Jesus  Christ  would  be  greater 
than  in  that  of  Napoleon  :  but  even  were  they  the 
same,  I  confess  they  are  quite  enough  to  render  my 
position  untenable.  But  in  the  supposition  of  this 
manuscript  concerning  Bonaparte,  I  should  say  that 
the  pretended  prophecy  had  been  made  after  the 
event.  This  I  maintain  to  be  the  case  with  respect 
to  the  prophecies  of  the  Old  Testament. 

The  Abbe. — That  is  quite  another  thing.  We  are 
then  agreed  that  your  second  explanation  is  still  more 
inadmissible  than  the  first ;  and  that  it  is  impossible 
to  suppose  that  the  event  was  made  for  the  prophecy. 
But  I  have  another  question  to  ask  you  on  this  sub- 
ject: Is  it  necessary  to  have  seen  Napoleon,  in  order 
to  be  convinced  of  the  falsehood  of  the  suppositions 
which  I  have  just  made  concerning  his  history  1 
Mr.  de  Lassalle. — Certainly  not. 
The  Abbe. — Is  it  necessary  to  have  seen  Jesus 
Christ,  in  order  to  acknowledge  the  falsehood  of  the 
analogous  suppositions  which  you  have  made  con- 
cerning his  history  ?  * 

Mr,  de  Lassalle. — The  one  is  not  quite  so  clear  as 
the  other  ;  yet  I  confess  it  is  sufficiently  so. 

The  Abbe. — Acknowledge,  then,  that  one  may  be 
perfectly  sure  of  an  event  without  having  seen  it; 
and  that  Rousseau  was  utterly  unreasonable  in  saying, 
that  he  would  not  admit  the  truth  of  any  prophecy, 
unless  he  had  witnessed  its  accomplishment.  He 
has  thought  fit  to  proclaim  the  necessity  of  a  con- 
dition which  is  not  to  be  found  in  prophecy  ;  which 
all  generations  could  not  find  there  ;  and  then,  be- 
cause this  condition  is  wanting,  he  refuses  to  believe. 


60  INSPIRATION 

This  is  prejudice,  not  candor.     Let  us  now  examine 

your  last  explanation. 

Mr.  de  Lassalle. —  Really,  sir.  you  tell  me  so  many 
things  of  which  I  was  not  previously  aware,  that  I 
begin  to  feel  rather  uneasy.  Nevertheless,  I  think 
that,  in  this  instance,  I  only  make  a  reasonable  sup- 
position. If  men  cannot  do  what  tiny  like  with  his- 
tory, and  with  their  fellow  creatures,  they  can  with 
books.  Paper  is  discreet,  and  does  not  complain. 
We  read  of  many  interpolations  of  this  kind  in  the 
history  of  letters.  Besides,  I  do  not  suppose  that  the 
whole  of  the  Old  Testament  was  written  after  the 
death  of  Christ.  I  only  suppose  that  the  apostles 
intercalated  prophecies  relative  to  the  Messiah,  which 
they  inserted  after  the  event. 

The  Abbe. — You  forget,  sir,  the  place  occupied  by 
the  prophecies  in  the  Old  Testament.  They  are 
found  in  so  great  a  number,  they  form  so  connected  a 
whole,  they  are  so  involved  in  the  contemporaneous 
history,  that  it  would  have  been  easier  to  remake  the 
entire  book,  than  to  insert  them  after  the  event.  Be- 
sides, there  was  one  circumstance  which  greatly  in- 
creased the  difficulty.  When  the  ten  tribes  which 
formed  the  kingdom  of  Israel  separated  from  that  of 
Judah,  they  carried  with  them  the  live  books  of  Moses, 
the  only  part  of  the  Old  Testament  then  collected. 
These  books  have  been  preserved  to  the  present  day 
by  the  Samaritans,  who  are  descended  from  the 
Israelites.  The  apostles,  not  content  with  changing 
the  Hebrew  Old  Testament,  must  also  have  falsified 
the  five  books  of  Moses,  as  possessed  by  the  Samari- 
tans, the  declared  enemies  of  the  Jews.  But  this 
is  my  least  difficulty. 

Do  you  not  think,  sir,  that  if  the  apostles  had  com- 
posed the  prophecies  after  the  event,  they  would  have 
made  them  clearer  ?  You  complain  that  they  are  not 
sufficiently  precise.  Believe  me,  an  impostor  would 
have  taken  care  to  avoid  this  reproach.     You  must 


OF    THE    niBLF.  61 

not  take  it  ill  if  I  turn  your  own  weapons  against  you. 
This  is  my  second  difficulty. 

Here  is  the  third.  It'  the  prophecies  of  the  Old 
T\  stamen!  were  made  alter  the  event,  how  is  it  that 
the  .lews  understood  them  before?  Where  had  they 
read  that  a  Messiah  was  promised  them  ;  that  he 
would  appear  at  an  appointed  time  ;  that  he  would  be 
born  in  Bethlehem;  that  he  would  descend  from  Da- 
vid, etc.?  Had  they  read  these  things  in  predictions 
which  did  not  exist,  and  which  were  forged  many 
centuries  later?  You  seem  embarrassed  by  this  re- 
flection  :  let  us  leave  it,  and  proceed  to  my  last  diffi- 
culty, which  1  am  impatient  to  submit  to  you. 

"  The  apostles,"  say  you,  "  have  greatly  altered  the 
text  of  the  Old  Testament.  Paper  is  discreet,  and 
does  not  complain."  But  you  forget  that  this  paper 
might  fall  into  the  hands  of  indiscreet  men,  disposed 
to  complain.  Who  were  the  natural  guardians  of  the 
Old  Testament  ?  The  Jews,  the  priests,  the  scribes, 
the  rulers  of  the  synagogues  ;  that  is  to  say,  the  mur- 
derers of  Jesus  Christ.  It  is  well  known,  that  the 
Jews  carried  their  respect  for  their  sacred  books  even 
to  superstition  ;  so  much  so,  that  if,  in  copying  the 
Scriptures,  they  met  with  a  letter  larger  or  smaller 
than  the  rest,  they  carefully  preserved  these  differen- 
ces, which  are  still  to  be  found  in  our  Hebrew  text, 
and  in  which  their  doctors  saw  singular  mysteries. 
According  to  your  account,  they  now  for  the  first  time 
lay  aside  this  excessive  veneration,  and,  without  scru- 
ple,  consent  to  the  most  barefaced  interpolations.  And 
in  whose  favor  do  they  make  this  enormous  excep- 
tion ?  In  favor  of  Christ's  disciples,  who  attempt  to 
prove  by,  this  lie,  that  He  whom  these  same  Jews 
have  just  crucified  is  the  Messiah  and  the  Son  of 
God! 

But  granting  that  the  apostles  had  gained with 

what  I   We  know  that  the  apostles  had  neither  money 
nor  credit;   but,   however,   granting   that   they  had 
6 


62  INSPIRATION 

gained  the  guardians  of  the  Old  Testament  in  Jeru- 
salem ;  granting  that  they  had  bought  the  silence,  the 
concurrence  of  the  sanhedrim,  of  the  priesthood  in 
this  city,  from  the  first  to  the  last  of  its  members  ; 
the  opportunity,  doubtless,  was  favorable  ;  they  took 
advantage  of  the  time  when  these  furious  enemies 
of  Christ  were  discharging  the  remains  of  their  wrath 
on  his  disciples,  were  dispersing  them  on  every  side, 
were  stoning  St.  Stephen,  were  persuading  Herod  to 
decapitate  St.  James.  I  grant  that  the  Old  Testament 
was  altered  at  Jerusalem  to  suit  the  Christians.  I 
concede  much,  but  still  you  are  not  more  advanced 
than  you  were  before. 

There  existed  other  manuscripts  of  the  Old  Testa- 
ment. There  was  one,  at  least,  in  every  synagogue, 
that  is,  in  every  city  of  Judea.  But  what  do  I  say  ? 
The  Jews  had  been  scattered  throughout  the  world  for 
the  space  of  two  hundred  years.  Everywhere  they  had 
synagogues,  and  everywhere  they  read  the  Scriptures 
on  the  sabbath  day.  Not  only  must  the  apostles  have 
gained  the  Jewish  priests  at  Jerusalem,  but  also  the 
scribes  and  elders  of  every  city  in  Judea,  with  those  of 
Antioch,  of  Rome,  of  Athens,  of  Corinth,  of  Philippi,  of 
Babylon,  of  Thessalonica,  those  of  the  whole  world. 

Finally,  this  universal  alteration  of  the  sacred 
books  of  the  Jews,  brought  about  through  the  co-ope- 
ration of  all  the  Jewish  priests,  scribes,  and  elders 
in  the  world,  was  made  with  such  profound  secrecy, 
that  no  one  has  discovered  it  to  the  present  day  ;  thai 
no  remembrance  of  the  authentic  text  has  been  pre- 
served in  any  manuscript ;  and  the  deluded  Jews, 
from  century  to  century,  confidently  present  us  with 
the  same  text  which  the  Christians  have  altered, 
while  the  Jews  still  retained  them  in  their  own  hands ; 
and  altered  on  purpose  to  condemn  the  Jews  ;  while 
it  was  only  necessary  to  preserve  the  text  as  it  was, 
for  the  purpose  of  sustaining  their  own  hopes,  and  01 
annihilating  those  of  the  Christians. — Are  you  still 


OF    THE    BIBLK.  63 

of  opinion  that  the  prophecy  was  written  after  the 
event  ! 

Mr.  de  Lassalle. — But,  sir, 

Lucitta. — All,  it  is  of  no  use,  my  dear  !  You  must 
give  up  the  point.  Readiness  to  yield,  of  which  you 
accuse  me,  is  no  longer  a  question.  Ready  or  not, 
1  Bee  no  possibility  that  you  can  hold  out  any  long- 
er, at  least  in  this  stronghold  ;  which  is  your  third, 
and  last. 

The  Abbe. — And  do  you  think,  sir,  that  in  order 
to  decide  against  the  interpolation  which  you  sup- 
pose, it  is  necessary  to  have  witnessed  the  fulfilment 
of  the  prophecy  ?  and  that  Rousseau  is  not  pre- 
judiced, unjust,  insensate,  if,  without  having  seen,  he 
does  not  yield  to  proofs  such  as  those  which  I  have 
just  given  you  ?  The  fact  is,  that  this  hypothesis 
contains  in  itself  alone  such  an  accumulation  of  ab- 
surdities, that  your  third  explanation  is  more  incred- 
ible than  the  second  ;  and  the  second  is  more  so 
than  the  first.  If  there  be  not  a  fourth,  I  am  re- 
solved, for  my  part,  to  believe  in  the  intervention  of 
God  with  regard  to  prophecy,  that  I  may  not  be 
guilty  of  an  excess  of  credulity.  Observe,  sir,  the 
order  of  our  argumentation.  There  are  only  three 
natural  explanations,  as  we  have  learned  from  Rous- 
seau himself,  of  the  agreement  of  the  event  with  the 
prophecy.  Either  this  agreement  is  purely  acci- 
dental : — but  prophecy  is  so  full  and  precise,  that 
this  is  no  more  possible  than  it  would  be  to  produce 
an  iEneid  by  throwing  printed  characters  at  hazard. 
It  is  a  philosophical  absurdity.  Or,  the  event  has 
been  made  for  the  prophecy  : — but  this  is  no  more 
possible  than  that  the  history  of  Napoleon  was  ar- 
ranged or  made  at  pleasure.  It  is  an  historical  ab- 
surdity. Or,  lastly,  the  prophecy  has  been  made  for 
the  event: — but  this  supposition  overturns  all  the  laws 
of  criticism.  It  is  a  literary  absurdity.  Turn  which 
way  you  will,  you  can  find  no  other  issue.    Impossi- 


64  INSPIRATION 

bility,  absurdity,  will  greet  you  at  every  step,  anrl 
your  understanding  will  remain  unsatisfied,  until  at 

length  you  yield — which  you  may  without  shame  in 
a  contest  of  this  nature — and  say,  with  the  Egyptian 
doctors,  who  had  long  withstood  Moses,  "  This  is 
the  finger  of  God  !"  Exod.  viii.  19. 

Mr.  de  Lassallc. — I  cannot  go  so  far  as  that ; 
but  I  must  confess  there  is  more  to  be  said  in  favor 
of  prophecy  than  I  before  imagined.  It  is  a  sub- 
ject for  examination.  On  reflection  I  may  find 
something  to  say  in  reply,  which  does  not  at.  pre- 
sent suggest  itself  to  my  mind.  A  thought  strikes 
me  in  support  of  my  first  explanation.  It  is  hardly 
fair  to  return  to  a  position  which  I  had  almost  aban- 
doned ;  but  I  clearly  see  it  is  the  only  one  of  the 
three  that  is  at  all  tenable. 

The  Abbe. — You  are  right,  sir ;  it  is  the  only 
tenable  one  amongst  them.  At  least,  I  can  conceive 
that  you  still  consider  it  such,  on  account  of  what 
you  call  the  obscurity  of  prophecy.  When  you  have 
studied  the  Old  Testament,  it  will  appear  to  you  as 
untenable  as  the  other  two.  But  let  us  hear  your  re- 
flection. 

Mr.  de  Lassalle. — The  Jews,  of  whom  you  have 
just  spoken,  do  not  believe  that  Jesus  is  the  Mes- 
siah, nor,  consequently,  that  he  has  fulfilled  the 
prophecies.  Nevertheless,  they  donot  believe  that  their 
books  have  been  falsified.  Neither,  that  I  am  aware, 
do  they  deny  the  principal  facts  in  the  life  of  Jesus 
Christ.  They  must  account  for  this  by  supposing 
the  accidental  coincidence  which  I  myself  urged  at 
the  beginning  of  our  conversation.  Is  it  credible, 
that  a  whole  nation  should  admit  an  absurdity, 
and  admit  it  at  the  very  time  when  it  might  be  best 
investigated  ? 

The  Abbe. — "  A  whole  nation  !"  That  is  going 
rather  too  far.  Many  Jews  believed  in  Jesus  Christ. 
When  St.  Paul  took  his   last  journey  to  Jerusalem, 


OF    THE    BIBLE.  65 

the  converted  Jews  were  reckoned  by  many  thou- 
sands, Acts  xxi.  20.  If,  admitting  the  fulfilment  of 
prophecy,  you  find  it  difficult  to  explain  the  obstinacy 
of  the  greater  number,  the  conversion  of  these  many 
thousands  is,  at  least,  as  inexplicable  without  this 
fulfilment.  But  the  incredulity  of  the  many,  viewed 
in  its  proper  light,  is  a  fresh  proof  of  the  truth  of 
prophecy  ;  first,  because  it  was  predicted  ;  so  that 
it  is  another  prophecy  fulfilled  :  secondly,  because 
it  is  the  unbelief  of  the  Jews  which  so  wonderfully 
guaranties  the  authenticity  and  integrity  of  the 
prophetic  writings,  as  I  have  just  shown.  These  two 
proofs  united,  the  faith  of  some,  the  incredulity  of 
others,  have  admirable  force.  You  would  do  well  to 
read  what  Pascal  says  on  this  point.* 

\  ou  cannot  imagine  that  the  Jews  would  have 
admitted  the  accidental  fulfilment  of  prophecy,  had 
it  been  as  inadmissible  as  I  say.  But  you  forget,  sir, 
the  power  of  prejudice  and  obstinacy,  especially 
among  this  unhappy  people.  They  themselves  give 
us  the  measure  of  their  blindness  by  their  opinion 
of  the  Messiah.  For  the  Jews,  believing  in  the 
prophecies,  and  not  finding  them  fulfilled  in  Christ, 
expect  another  Messiah,  in  whom  they  will  be  ac- 
complished. But,  independent  of  the  fact,  that  it 
would  be  too  incredible  that  another  man  should  be 
found  who  would  unite  in  his  person  all  the  signs 
of  a  prophecy  at  once  so  full  and  so  explicit,  there 
are  indications  which  it  would  be  absolutely  impos- 
sible to  reproduce  ;  and,  therefore,  the  Messiah 
whom  the  Jews  expect  cannot  come.  His  time  has 
gone  by.  Should  he  be  born  to-morrow,  in  ten 
years,  a  century  hence,  could  they  be  sure  that  he 
was  of  the  family  of  David,  now  that  the  genealogi- 
cal tables  of  the  Jews  no  longer  exist  ?  Could  he 
appear  four  hundred  and  ninety  years  after  an  edict 
had  gone  forth,  allowing  the  Jews  to  return  to  their 

*  Thoughts,  Secend  Part,  viii.  11. 

6* 


66  INSPIRATION 

native  land,  now  that  the  last  edict  of  this  nature 
was  published  more  than  two  thousand  years  ago  ? 
Could  he  show  himself  in  the  second  temple,  now 
that  this  second  temple  is  destroyed  ?  Could  he  put 
an  end  to  sacrifices,  now  that  eighteen  hundred 
years  have  elapsed  since  their  discontinuance  ? 
Question  a  Jew  on  the  subject.  Press  him  to  tell 
you  precisely  what  he  thinks  of  the  expected  Mes- 
siah. I  can  tell  you  beforehand  ;  for  I  have  already 
made  the  trial.  His  answers  will  be  so  confused,  as 
to  convince  you  that  the  opinions  of  this  wretched 
people  are  no  authority  in  this  matter  ;  and  that  the 
men  who  were  furious  enough  to  commit  the  great- 
est of  crimes,  are  prejudiced  enough  to  justify  it  by 
an  absurd  and  contradictory  supposition.  Believe 
me,  they  have  not  fairly  examined  the  question. 
They  made  up  their  minds  that  Jesus,  who  opposed 
them,  who  openly  condemned  their  vices,  who  over- 
threw their  carnal  hopes,  could  not  be  the  Messiah; 
and,  therefore,  they  adopted  the  first  hypothesis  that 
presented  itself  to  their  minds  :  just  as  the  greater 
part  of  our  modern  skeptics  begin  by  laying  down, 
as  a  principle,  that  the  Christian  religion  cannot  be 
Divine  ;  and  then  admit  fanaticism,  fraud,  interpo- 
lation, whatever  you  will,  without  caring  whether 
their  suppositions  can  be  defended,  or  whether  they 
are  airy  theories,  which,  when  once  clearly  defined, 
are  for  ever  refuted.  I  do  not  refer  to  you,  sir.  Our 
conversation  proves  that  you  are  no  sharer  in  their 
injustice. 

But  if  the  Jews  will  not  recognise  Jesus  Christ  in 
the  prophecies  of  the  Old  Testament,  can  they  refuse 
to  recognise  themselves  ?  Listen,  sir,  to  what  has 
been  predicted  of  the  Jews,  since  the  time  of  Moses, 
in  this  book  which  they  honor  as  the  book  of  God ; 
and  which  they,  having  had  the  care  of  it,  are  well 
aware  has  undergone  no  alteration. 

"  It  shall  come  to  pass,  if  thou  wilt  not  hearken 


OF   IRS    BIBLE.  67 

unto  the  voice  of  the  Lord  thy  God,  to  observe  to  do 
all  his  commandments  and  Ins  statutes  which  I  com- 
mand thee  this  day;  that  all  these  curses  shall  come' 
upon  thee,  and  overtake  thee. — And  they  shall  be 
upon  thee  lor  a  sign  and  lor  a  wonder,  and  upon  thy 
seed  for  ever. 

•■  The  Lord  shall  bring  a  nation  against  thee  from 
far,  from  the  end  of  the  earth,  as  swift  as  the  eagle 
flieth  ;  a  nation  whose  tongue  thou  shalt  not  under- 
stand ;  a  nation  of  fierce  countenance,  which  shall 
not  regard  the  person  of  the  old,  nor  show  favor  to 
the  young  :  and  he  shall  eat  the  fruit  of  thy  cattle, 
and  the  fruit  of  thy  land,  until  thou  be  destroyed: 
which  also  shall  not  leave  thee  either  corn,  wine,  or 
oil,  or  the  increase  of  thy  kine,  or  Hocks  of  thy  sheep, 
until  he  have  destroyed  thee.  And  he  shall  besiege 
thee  in  all  thy  gates,  until  thy  high  and  fenced  walls 
come  down,  wherein  thou  trustedst,  throughout  all 
thy  land  :  and  he  shall  besiege  thee  in  all  thy  gates 
throughout  all  thy  land,  which  the  Lord  thy  God  hath 
given  thee. 

"  And  thou  shalt  eat  the  fruit  of  thine  own  body, 
the  flesh  of  thy  sons  and  of  thy  daughters,  which  the 
Lord  thy  God  hath  given  thee,  in  the  siege,  and  in 
the  straitness,  wherewith  thine  enemies  shall  distress 
thee  :  so  that  the  man  that  is  tender  among  you,  and 
very  delicate,  his  eye  shall  be  evil  toward  his  brother, 
and  toward  the  wife  of  his  bosom,  and  toward  the 
remnant  of  his  children  which  he  shall  leave  :  so 
that  he  will  not  give  to  any  of  them  of  the  flesh  of 
his  children  whom  he  shall  eat :  because  he  hath 
nothing  left  him  in  the  siege,  and  in  the  straitness, 
wherewith  thine  enemy  shall  distress  thee  in  all  thy 
gates. 

"  The  Lord  will  make  thy  plagues  wonderful,  and 
the  plagues  of  thy  seed,  even  great  plagues,  and  of 
long  continuance,  and  sore  sicknesses,  and  of  long 
continuance. 


68  INSPIRATION 

"  And  ye  shall  be  left  few  in  number,  whereas  ye 
were  as  the  stars  of  heaven  for  multitude  ;  beeause 
thou  wouldest  not  obey  the  voice  of  the  Lord  thy  God. 
And  it  shall  come  to  pass,  that  as  the  Lord  rejoiced 
over  you  to  do  you  good,  and  to  multiply  you  ;  so  the 
Lord  will  rejoice  over  you  to  destroy  you,  and  to 
bring  you  to  naught ;  and  ye  shall  be  plucked  from 
off  the  land  whither  thou  goest  to  possess  it.  And 
the  Lord  shall  scatter  thee  among  all  people,  from 
one  end  of  the  earth  even  unto  the  other. 

"  And  among  these  nations  shalt  thou  find  no  ease, 
neither  shall  the  sole  of  thy  foot  have  rest :  but  the 
Lord  shall  give  thee  there  a  trembling  heart,  and 
failing  of  eyes,  and  sorrow  of  mind:  and  thy  lift 
shall  hang  in  doubt  before  thee  ;  and  thou  shalt  feai 
day  and  night,  and  shalt  have  none  assurance  of  thy 
life  :  in  the  morning  thou  shalt  say,  Would  God  i< 
were  even  !  and  at  even  thou  shalt  say,  Would  Go<* 
it  were  morning  !  for  the  fear  of  thine  heart  where 
with  thou  shalt  fear,  and  for  the  sight  of  thine  eye* 
which  thou  shalt  see. 

"  And  the  Lord  shall  brin£  thee  into  Egypt  again 
with  ships,  by  the  way  whereof  I  spake  unto  thee. 
Thou  shalt  see  it  no  more  again  :  and  there  ye  shall 
be  sold  unto  your  enemies  for  bondmen  and  bond- 
women, and  no  man  shall  buy  you. 

"  And  I  will  brinij  the  land  into  desolation  :  and 
your  enemies  which  shall  dwell  therein  shall  be 
astonished  at  it.  And  I  will  scatter  you  among  the 
heathen,  and  will  draw  out  a  sword  after  you :  and 
your  land  shall  be  desolate,  and  your  cities  waste. — 
And  upon  them  that  are  left  alive  of  you  I  will  send 
a  faintness  into  their  hearts  in  the  lands  of  their 
enemies  ;  and  the  sound  of  a  shaken  leaf  shall  chase 
them  ;  and  they  shall  flee  as  fleeing  from  a  sword  ; 
and  they  shall  fall  when  none  pursueth. — And  they 
that  are  left  of  you  shall  pine  away  in  their  iniquity 
in  your  enemies'  lands. 


OF   THE   bipi.i:.  69 

"  And  I  will  deliver  them  to  be  removed  into  all 
che  kingdoms  of  the  earth  for  their  hurt,  to  be  a 
reproach  and  a  proverb,  a  taunt  and  a  curse,  in  all 
places  whither  1  shall  drive  them. — For,  lo,  I  will 
command,  and  I  will  sift  the  house  of  Israel  among 
all  nations,  like  as  corn  is  sifted  in  a  sieve,  yet  shall 
not  the  least  grain  fall  upon  the  earth. 

•■  So  that  the  generation  to  come  of  your  children 

that   shall  rise   up  after  you,  and  the  stranger  that 

shall  come   from  a  far  land,  shall  say,  when  they  see 

the  plagues  of  that  land,  and  the  sicknesses  which 

the  Lord  hath  laid  upon  it:    even    all  nations  shall 

say,  Wherefore  hath  the   Lord  done  thus  unto  this 

land?  what  meaneth  the  heat  of  this  great  anger? 

Then  men  shall  say,  Because  they  have  forsaken  the 

covenant  of  the  Lord  God  of  their  fathers,  which  he 

made  with  them  when  he  brought  them  forth  out  of 

the  land  of  Egypt : — and  the  anger  of  the   Lord  was 

kindled    against  this   land,  to  bring  upon  it  all  the 

curses  that  are  written  in  this  book :   and  the  Lord 

rooted  them  out  of  their  land  in  anger,  and  in  wrath, 

and  in  great  indignation,  and  cast  them  into  another 

.... 
land,  as  it  is  this  day."* 

What  say  you,  sir,  to  this  prediction  ?  You  will 
not  accuse  it  of  obscurity.  The  language  is  almost 
as  clear  as  that  of  history.  And  has  it  not  been 
verified  ?  Is  it  not  still  verified  before  our  eyes, 
trait  for  trait  ?  I  see  you  are  struck  by  this.  You 
will  be  more  so,  if  you  consider  each  article  sepa- 
rately. Could  the  Romans  be  better  described  than 
they  are  here  ?  "A  nation  coming  from  afar,  like 
the  eagle  ,"  speaking  a  "  language"  unknown  to  the 
Jews  ;  whilst  every  other  nation  that  had  made  war 
upon  them  came  from  climes  less  distant,  and  spoke 
languages  very  analogous  to  the  Hebrew  ?  The 
siege  of  Jerusalem  by  the  Romans,  is  it  not  drawn  to 

*  Deut.  xxviii. ;  Levit.  xxvi.  32—39  ;   Jer.  xxiv.  9  ;  Amos  be.  9  ; 
•Deut.  xxix.  22—28. 


70  INSPIRATION 

the  very  life  ?  These  high  and  fenced  walls,  on 
which  they  trusted  throughout  the  land,  this  dreadful 
famine,  these  families  disputing  for  a  morsel  of  food, 
these  children  devoured  by  their  own  mothers  ;  could 
we  not  imagine  that,  instead  of  a  prophecy,  we  were 
reading  the  recital  of  the  siege  by  the  historian 
Josephus  ?  The  calamities  which  have  fallen  upon 
the  Jews,  have  they  not  been  "  wonderful,"  and  of 
"  long  continuance  ?"  Do  they  not  still  continue  ; 
and  have  they  not  lasted  nearly  eighteen  centui 
Have  not  the  vanquished  Jews,  contrary  to  the  gene- 
ral policy  of  their  conquerors,  been  torn  from  their 
native  soil,  and  forbidden  to  return  to  it  on  pain  of 
death  ?  And  more  :  they  might,  at  least,  have  been 
transported  to  one  common  retreat,  where  they  might 
have  formed  a  colony ;  but  instead  of  that,  have  they 
not  been  dispersed  on  every  side  ;  and  even  in  the 
remotest  corners  of  the  world,  are  we  not  sure  to  find 
a  remnant  of  this  scattered  people  ?  And  yet. 
wonderful  to  relate  !  have  they  not  invariably  re- 
mained distinct  from  every  other  nation  ?  And  how 
striking  is  the  image  of  the  prophet  Amos,  who  com- 
pares them  to  corn  sifted  in  a  sieve,  while  not  a 
single  grain  falls  to  the  earth  !  And  can  we  fail  to 
recognise  in  these  traits  the  condition  of  the  Jews 
among  foreign  nations  :  ease  ever  flying  from  them  ; 
their  hearts  trembling ;  their  lives  in  jeopardy ? 
Have  you  not  read  in  Josephus,  that  the  Jewish 
prisoners  were  led  by  thousands  into  Egypt,  at  two 
different  times,  under  Titus,  and  under  Adrian  ;  and 
that  these  unhappy  slaves  were  estimated  at  so  low 
a  price,  that  eleven  thousand  were  allowed  to  perish 
from  hunger  ?  Have  not  the  Jews  literally  been  "  an 
astonishment,  a  proverb,  and  a  by-word,''  among 
men  ?  and  that,  not  in  Christian  countries  only,  but 
among  Mohammedans,  and   even  among   pagans  ?* 

•  Might  we  expect  to  see  the  Jews  trodden  underfoot  by  Pagans, 
who  never  heard  of  the  Saviour  ?    Who  taught  the  ftindoo  to. 


OF    THE    BIBLE.  71 

\iiil  have  not  their  calamities  been  the  wonder  of  the 
whole  world  !  Has  not  their  condition  been  con- 
sidered, in  all  ages,  as  something  out  of  the  ordinary- 
course  of  nature,  and  as  the  effect  of  a  direct  curse 
from  God  ! 

Try  to  explain  this  prophecy  by  Rousseau's  three 
hypotheses.  Accidental  coincidence?  How  can  we 
admit  this,  when  the  prophecy  is  so  explicit,  and 
when  it  refers  to  circumstances  so  special,  to  a  his- 
tory unique  in  the  annals  of  the  world  ?  Interpola- 
tion ?  But  when  could  it  have  been  made,  to  meet 
the  exigency  of  events  which  have  lasted  eighteen 
centuries,  and  which  still  continue  ?  The  invention 
or  the  arrangement  of  history  ?  How  can  this  be 
possible  in  reference  to  facts  which  take  place  at  this 
present  time,  and  under  our  own  eyes  ?  Here  you 
have  what  Rousseau  demands.  You  are  witness  of 
the  event.  If  you  are  not  witness  of  the  prophecy, 
at  any  rate  you  are  witness  that  there  has  been  no 
interpolation  ;  and  this  suffices.  In  short,  you  may 
affirm  that  accidental  coincidence  is  impossible,  un- 
less you  admit  that  it  is  possible  in  every  case  ; 
which  is  contrary  to  common  sense,  and  to  Rousseau 
himself.  Thus,  sir,  if  one  must  be  credulous,  not  to 
believe  the  prophecies  concerning  the  Messiah  ;  one 
must  be  still  more  so,  not  to  believe  those  respecting 
the  Jews.  It  would  require  a  degree  of  credulity, 
of  which  neither  you  nor  I  are  capable.  I  promised 
to  show  you  that  those  who  reject  prophecy  fall  into 
absurdity.     I  think  I  have  redeemed  my  promise. 

Lucilla. — Can  anything  be  clearer  ?  Really,  un 
less  we  have  determined  not  to  be  convinced,  we 
cannot  but  yield  to  such  arguments.  Is  it  not  so, 
my  dear  ? 

Mr.  de  Lassalle. — I  frankly  confess,  I  never  im- 

punish  the  Jew,  even  to  the  present  day,  without  knowing  the 
crime  of  which  he  has  been  guilty  ? — Buchanan's  Christian  Re- 
searches in  Asia,  pp.  297,  29§. 


72  INSPIRATION 

agined  that  proofs,  not  only  of  such  force,  but  also  of 
such  a  nature,  could  be  alleged  in  favor  of  revelation. 
This  prophecy  concerning  the  Jews,  especially,  is 
most  wonderful.  1  never  observed  it  before.  But  I 
repeat,  I  will  think  of  all  this  again.  You  have  in- 
vited me  to  examine.  I  am  quite  willing  to  do  so. 
More  I  cannot  say  at  present. 

The  Abbe. — It  is  all  I  ask.  .  I  will  only  make  one 
more  observation.  Prophecy  is  but  one  of  the  many 
proofs  in  favor  of  revelation.  Had  we  chosen  anoth- 
er, instead  of  this,  I  could  equally  have  shown  you 
that  it  requires  more  credulity  to  reject  than  to  receive 
revelation.  I  could  have  demonstrated  this  with  re- 
spect to  miracles,  the  propagation  of  Christianity,  and 
the  character  of  Jesus  Christ ;  not  to  mention  the 
morality  or  the  doctrines  of  the  gospel. 

Miracles. — It  is  easy  to  say  that  they  were  falsely 
contrived.  But  were  this  the  case,  how  was  it  that 
so  many  of  Christ's  disciples  went  throughout  the 
world  attesting  facts  which  they  knew  to  be  false  (for 
men  cannot  be  mistaken  with  respect  to  facts,  as  they 
may  be  with  respect  to  doctrines),  when  they  had  no 
other  reward  to  expect  for  their  imposture,  than  re- 
proach, imprisonment,  and  death  ?*  IIow  was  it  that 
thousands  believed  their  testimony,  even  in  the  very 
cities  where  these  imaginary  events,  on  which  their 
preaching  rested,  were  said  to  have  taken  place  ; 
while  the  interests,  the  passions,  the  habits  of  these 
proselytes  conspired  to  make  them  cleave  to  their 
ancient  belief?  How  was  it  that  the  enemies  of  the 
gospel  acknowledged  the  miracles  of  Jesus  Christ, 
and  formed  various  conjectures  to  account  for  them, 
when  it  would  have  been  so  easy  to  silence  the  apos- 
tles by  a  single  question,  "Is  this  true  ?"  For  the 
Jews  attributed  the  miracles  of  Jesus  Christ  to  Satan  ; 
the  pagans  attributed  them  to  magic  ;  but  neither  de- 
nied them.  We,  who  live  in  a  more  enlightened  age, 
*  Pascal's  Thoughts,  part  second,  xvii.  56. 


OF    THK    BIBLB.  73 

cannot  admit  either  supposition.  Vet  the  fact  remains, 
and  the  gospel  is  justified. 

The  propagation  of  the  gospel. — How  can  we  ex- 
plain the  fact,  that  the  gospel  has  overspread  the 
earth,  it'  God  be  QOt  for  it  !  It  is  in  vain  that  the 
success  of  Mohammed  is  urged  in  reply.  Everything 
is  different,  everything  is  directly  opposite,  in  the  two 
niM's.  Mohammed,  with  powerful  resources,  tri- 
umphed over  a  feeble  resistant  e.  Jesus  Ohrist,  with 
the  least  possible  resources,  triumphed  over  the  most 
formidable  resistance.  The  doctrine  of  Mohammed 
favored  tin'  tastes  and  passions  of  mankind  :  that  of 
Jesus  Christ  withstood  them  to  the  face.  Mohammed 
employed  force  of  arms,  and  was  a  murderer  for  his 
religion.  Jesus  Christ  employed  nothing  but  persua- 
sion, and  was  the  martyr  of  his.  The  success  of 
Mohammed  is  in  the  natural  course  of  things  :  that 
of  Jesus  Christ  is  contrary  to  all  human  expecta- 
tions.* 

The  character  of  Christ. — How  can  we  explain,  in 
a  simple  individual — what  do  I  say  ?  in  a  fanatic,  or 
an  impostor — a  moral  perfection,  of  which  another 
example  is  not  to  be  found  in  the  whole  human  race  ? 
Or,  if  you  think  that  the  character  of  Christ  is  drawn 
from  imagination,  how  can  you  explain  the  fact  that 
a  fewT  fishermen  should  have  conceived  the  idea  of  a 
character  of  such  perfection,  as  no  author,  even  in 
the  most  enlightened  countries,  has  ever  equalled, 
either  before  or  since  ? 

And  the  morality  of  the  gospel,  the  incomparable 

*  "  Mohammed  established  himself  by  slaying  ;  Jesus  Christ 
by  subjecting  his  followers  to  be  slain  ;  Mohammed  by  forbidding 
to  read  ;  Jesus  Christ  by  commanding  to  read.  In  short,  thf  y  are 
so  contrary  to  each  other,  that  if  Mohammed  has  taken  every  hu- 
man means  to  ensure  success,  Jesus  Christ  has  taken  every  human 
means  to  perish.  And  instead  of  concluding  that  since  Moham- 
med has  sua  eeded,  Jesus  Christ  might  succeed,  we  ought  to  say, 
that  since  Mohammed  has  succeeded,  Christianity  must  have  per- 
ished, had  it  not  been  sustained  by  a  power  altogether  Divine." — 
Pascal's  Thoughts,  art.  xii. 

7 


74  INSPIRATION 

superiority  of  which  even  your  philosophers  are  con- 
strained to  admit ;  and  its  doctrine  concerning  God, 
and  a  future  state,' so  just,  so  simple,  and  the  whole 
so  new  !  There  is  not  one  of  these  points  on  which 
I  could  not  embarrass  you  as  much  as  I  did  on  the 
question  of  the  prophecies.  Be  assured,  my  dear  sir, 
that  incredulity  cannot  stand  a  (lose  investigation. 
Rousseau  himself,  notwithstanding  his  apparent  depth, 
has  merely  glanced  at.  these  important  questions  in 
his  "  Vicaire  Savoyard."  Examine  it :  you  will  eve- 
rywhere find  false  assertions,  false  principles  ;  and 
whatever  of  truth  is  blended  with  it,  serves  only  to 
condemn  him  by  his  own  testimony.  I  appeal  to  his 
celebrated  passage  on  the  Scriptures,  and  on  the 
character  of  Jesus  Christ.  On  the  one  hand,  Rous- 
seau finds  in  Jesus  Christ  superhuman  virtue,  and  in 
the  gospel  a  perfect  moral  code  :  on  the  other  hand, 
he  finds  in  the  same  gospel  doctrines  which  seem  to 
him  strange  and  incredible.  In  presence  of  this  two- 
fold view,  how  ought  he  to  reason  ?  Ought  he  to  say, 
"  Since  this  book  sheds  divine  light  on  moral  ques- 
tions, which  are  the  least  subject  to  dispute,  I  am 
bound  to  receive  it  as  coming  from  God  ;  and  believe 
its  testimony  on  points  which  are  beyond  the  sphere 
of  my  observation,  such  as  the  thoughts  and  designs 
of  the  Creator  ?"  Or,  ought  he  to  say,  "  Since  there 
are  in  this  book,  on  subjects  with  which  I  am  little 
acquainted,  certain  statements  which  astonish  me,  I 
am  bound  to  reject  it,  though  it  is  radiant  with  truth 
on  the  clearest  points  ?"  He  adopts  the  latter  alter- 
native ;  for  his  pretended  suspension  of  judgment  ex- 
ists only  in  words.  Sir,  I  maintain  that  Rousseau 
has  shown  himself  credulous  in  thus  deciding :  and 
he  is  the  more  inexcusable  in  his  error,  inasmuch  as 
he  felt  the  force  of  the  evidence.  "  The  life  and 
death  of  Christ  are  those  of  a  God  ;  and  we  cannot 
tell  whether  or  not  he  be  an  impostor  !  The  morality 
of  the  gospel  is  perfect ;  and  one  cannot  tell  whether 


OF    T/<E    BIRLE.  75 

or  not  it  is  the  fruit  of  falsehood  !  The  apostles  have 
invented  nothing  ;  and  we  cannot,  tell  whether  they 
have  Bpoken  truth,  or  whether  they  have  lied!" 
What  arc  the  pretended  contradictions  of  the  gospel 
after  this  !  Ah  !  sir,  you  will  find  no  repose,  even 
lor  your  reason  itself,  but  in  faith  ;  provided  your  rea- 
son is  reasonable,  and  not  reasoning. 

Mr.  de  Lussalle. — You  are  very  severe  upon  Rous- 
seau ;  but  allow  me  to  ask  another  question.  After 
all,  what  need  have  we  of  a  revelation,  when,  with- 
out its  aid,  we  can  have  such  a  religion  as  that  of  the 
"  Vicaire  Savoyard  ?" 

The  Abbe. — "  Without  its  aid  !"  Do  you  then  think, 
sir,  that  Rousseau  owes  nothing  to  revelation,  in  his 
ideas  of  God,  of  conscience,  and  the  immortality  of 
the  soul  ?  Christianity  has  been  in  the  world  eigh- 
teen centuries.  It  has  proclaimed,  with  perfect  clear- 
ness and  assurance,  the  existence  of  God,  and  the 
immortality  of  the  soul.  It  is  not,  then,  surprising 
that  a  philosopher  should  arise  and  support  these 
truths  in  his  turn.  He  establishes  them  by  the  aid 
of  reason  alone,  say  they.  But  who  knows  whether 
revelation  has  not  been  to  reason  what  the  clear- 
sighted is  to  the  blind,  whom  he  instructs  in  reading 
and  writing,  till  the  blind  man  is  able  to  do  both 
alone  ?  I  see  but  one  means  of  ascertaining  whether 
this  be  the  case  or  not.  It  is  to  see  what  reason  did 
before  revelation  was  generally  given  to  the  world. 
It  is  a  question  of  history.  What  degree  of  light  did 
natural  religion  display,  before  there  was  a  revealed 
religion  ?  And  yet  this  is  a  point  which  we  cannot 
completely  solve.  For  if  the  Bible  is  true,  revelation 
is  as  ancient  as  the  world  itself ;  and  the  patriarchal 
revelation,  which  takes  its  date  from  the  first  man, 
may  have  penetrated  among  pagan  nations,  where  the 
Mosaic  revelation  was  unknown.  But,  in  short,  what 
religion  had  mankind  before  the  coming  of  Christ  ? 
Inquire,    not  among  the   more   remote  nations,  but 


76  INSPIRATION 

among  the  most  civilized  ;  among  the  Greeks.  What 
was  their  belief  concerning  God,  and  a  future  state? 

It  is  not  necessary  that  I  should  remind  you  what 
was  the  light,  or  rather  the  darkness,  of  this  people. 
Rousseau  speaks  of  it  in  his  "  Profession  of  Faith  :" 
and  on  this  subject  he  exhibits  admirable  truth  and 
eloquence.  It  is  true,  the  Greek  philosophers  were 
exempt  from  the  superstitions  of  the  vulgar ;  but  what 
did  they  substitute  for  them  ?  They  did  not  believe 
in  a  hundred  different  gods,  nor  in  the  infernal  re- 
gions of  Pluto ;  but  they  had  no  clear  conceptions, 
either  of  the  unity  of  God,  or  of  a  future  state. 
There  was  not  one  among  them  who  taught  these 
two  truths  clearly,  simply,  and  positively.  We  know 
that  Socrates,  when  near  death,  expressed  himself 
on  the  immortality  of  the  soul  as  one  who  fears  to 
say  too  much.  And  do  you  think  that  Plato  or  Aris- 
totle ever  spoke  of  God  as  Rousseau  speaks  ? 

But  admitting  that  reason,  without  the  help  of  re- 
velation, could  have  discovered  the  doctrine  of  the 
"  Vicaire  Savoyard,"  would  this  doctrine  content  you, 
sir  ?  Have  you  so  little  reflected  on  God,  the  world, 
and  yourself  ?  For  we  cannot  deny  that  we  are  sin- 
ners, nor  that  sin  is  an  infringement  of  moral  order. 
To  repair  this  disorder  is  the  grand  problem  of  the 
Christian  religion.  But  does  the  "  Vicaire  Savoy- 
ard" solve — does  he  even  understand  the  full  bear- 
ing of  this  problem  ?  By  no  means.  If  the  Bible 
is  a  true  revelation,  the  "  Vicaire  Savoyard"  is  pro- 
foundly ignorant  both  of  God  and  man.  His  religion 
sufficient !  And  it  is  in  France,  where  philosophy 
has  been  put  to  the  test,  and  has  been  found  so  fear- 
fully wanting,  that  this  assertion  is  made  !  Wras  it 
sufficient  for  Rousseau  himself?  Did  it  give  him 
peace  of  mind  ?  Did  it  render  him  humble,  charita- 
ble, and  pure  ?  Let  his  life,  let  his  death  reply  !  For 
it  is  in  the  life,  it  is  in  the  person  of  Rousseau,  that 
we  must  learn  how  to  appreciate  the  "  Vica\re  Savoy- 


ov    THE    BIBLE.  77 

aid,"  and  not  in  the  pages  of  ;i  book.  Were  you 
called  upon  to  judge  of  doctrines  by  their  advo- 
cates, say,  which  should  you  find  the  most  clearly 

proved  !  The  truth  of  the  Christian  religion  by  Pas- 
cal, Living  in  a  holy  and  irreproachable  manner,  suf- 
fering patiently,  and  dying  in  peace  ;  or  the  self- 
sufficiency  of   natural    religion,    by  Rousseau,  who 

?     But  the  detail  is  superlluous  ;  and  I  will 

not  offend  the  ears  of  Madame  de  Lassalle.  One 
would  think  that  a  just  God,  to  confound  this  un- 
happy sophist,  had  allowed  him  to  exemplify  the  fal- 
lacy of  his  own  maxims  by  his  conduct.  He  could  not 
but  perceive  that  he  himself  was  his  own  refutation; 
so  that,  whatever  effect  his  eloquence  might  pro- 
duce, should  be  counteracted  by  the  remembrance 
of  his  life. 

Mr.  de  Lassalle. — I  do  not  seek  to  justify  Rous- 
seau ;  hut  you  must  not  consider  the  doctrine  re- 
sponsible for  its  advocate.  This  would  be  a  danger- 
ous argument  against  the  Christian  religion. 

The  Abbe.  —  It  is  not  a  conclusive  argument 
against  the  doctrine  of  Rousseau ;  but  still  it  makes 
me  pause  and  reflect.  Doubtless,  there  are  infidels 
who  are  both  honorable  and  virtuous  men  in  the  eyes 
of  the  world.  There  have  been  such  among  the 
heathen.  But  even  for  these,  natural  religion  neither 
can  nor  will  suffice.  The  doctrine  of  Christ  is  alone 
able  to  sanctify,  console,  and  save. 

Mr.  de  Lassalle. — It  is  this  doctrine  which  I  find 
so  repulsive.  It  is  so  little  in  harmony  with  the 
ideas  we  form  of  God,  so  incredible  in  every  respect. 

The  Abbe. —  This  ought  not  to  restrain  you. 
When  we  are  once  convinced,  by  solid  proofs,  that 
the  Bible  has  God  for  its  author,  we  ought  to  be- 
lieve it,  even  when  its  doctrines  appear  most  strange. 
May  not  our  ideas  be  erroneous  ?  And  how  do  you 
know ;  perhaps  this  doctrine  only  surprises  you  be- 
cause it  is  true  ?  This  is  what  Jesus  Christ  said 
7* 


78  INSPIRATION 

to  the  Jews  :  "  Because  I  tell  you  the  truth,  ye  be- 
lieve me  not,"  John  viii.  4,  5.  But  there  are  aspects 
in  which  this  same  doctrine  appears  perfectly  clear  ; 
and  it  would  furnish  us,  at  need,  with  a  fresh  proof 
in  favor  of  Christianity.  This  is  what  is  called 
internal  evidence.  I  did  not  mention  it  before,  oe- 
cause,  strong  as  it  is,  it  can  only  be  appreciated  by 
one  who  is  open  to  conviction,  and  who  begins  atten- 
tively to  study  revelation.  But  if  the  arguments 
which  I  have  adduced  can  stimulate  you  to  under- 
take this  study,  a  new  order  of  considerations  will 
claim  your  attention  ;  and  the  contents  of  the  Bible 
will  complete  the  justification  of  its  theology. 

You  will  be  struck,  in  the  first  place,  at  rinding  in 
the  Bible,  written  by  authors,  many  in  number,  and 
separated  from  each  other  by  intervening  centuries,  a 
marvellous  connexion  and  unity.  You  will  see  the  plan 
of  revelation  gradually  unfolding  itself  with  revolv- 
ing ages,  and  exhibiting  the  most  evident  marks  of 
oneness  of  design,  and  of  its  emanation  from  one  com- 
mon author.  Who  can  this  author  be,  but  God  alone  1 
What  other  mind  could  comprehend  fifteen  centuries 
at  a  glance  ?  You  will  then  think  it  as  incredible 
that  the  Bible  should  be  the  work  of  man,  as  that  a 
perfect  picture  should  be  formed  by  fifty  painters, 
who  should  pass  in  succession  before  the  canvass, 
and  each  give  a  stroke  with  his  pencil  in  passing. 

You  will  afterwards  be  delighted  to  see  what  light 
the  Bible  sheds  on  subjects  the  most  useful  and  the 
most  profound.  You  will  find,  respecting  God,  his 
law,  and  his  government,  notions  as  new  as  they  are 
instinct  with  truth.  You  will  learn  to  know  yourself 
so  well,  that  you  will  be  constrained  to  confess,  that 
He  who  made  the  Bible  made  also  the  heart  of  man. 
You  will  find  the  solution  of  these  grand  problems, 
which  have  ever  reduced  philosophy  to  despair — the 
origin  of  evil ;  the  disorders  of  society ;  the  contra- 
dictions which   are  observable  in  man.      You  will 


OF    THE    BIBLE.  79 

rest  convinced  that  the  Bible  cannot  be  explained 
without  God,  as  you  will  acknowledge  that  the  world 
cannot  be  explained  without  the  Bible. 

You  will  be  strengthened  in  this  conviction  by 
comparing  the  instructions  of  this  book  with  the  con- 
temporary  lessons  of  human  wisdom.  Look  at  the 
Jews,  among  whom  reason  had  done  comparatively 
nothing.  Look  at  the  Greeks,  among  whom  it  had 
worked  prodigies.  How  is  it,  that  while  the  first 
possessed  the  most  sublime  views  of  religion,  the 
other  had  only  vague  conjectures  among  their  philoso- 
phers, and  superstitions  among  the  multitude  ?  Whilst 
a  few  Galilean  fishermen  trace  the  only  picture  of 
perfect  holiness  that  the  world  ever  saw;  whilst  they 
announce  one  God,  just,  wise,  and  merciful;  whilst 
they  reveal  a  blissful  eternity,  and  show  the  way  by 
which  it  may  be  attained  ;  all  is  confused,  abandoned, 
and  disordered  in  Rome  and  Greece.  Let  us  go  back 
to  the  Old  Testament.  We  must  retrograde  six  hun- 
dred years,  to  reach  the  last  of  the  Jewish  prophecies. 
For  the  Old  Testament  is  the  most  ancient  of  books, 
and  Jewish  history  is  several  centuries  in  advance  of 
that  of  Greece  and  Rome.  The  very  time  when  the 
prophets  Malachi,  Haggai,  Daniel,  Ezekiel,  Jeremiah, 
Isaiah,  Hosea,*  Avere  preaching  this  glorious  doctrine 
to  the  Jews,  "  Before  me  there  was  no  God  formed, 
neither  shall  there  be  after  me.  I,  even  I,  am  the 
Lord  ;  and  beside  me  there  is  no  Saviour.  I,  even 
I,  am  he  that  blotteth  out  thy  transgressions  for  mine 
own  sake,  and  will  not  remember  thy  sins."  "  Holy, 
holy,  holy,  is  the  Lord  of  hosts."  "  Cease  to  do  evil ; 
learn  to  do  well."  "  Rend  yt)ur  heart,  and  not  your 
garments,  and  turn  unto  the  Lord  your  God ;  for  he 
is  gracious  and  merciful,"  Isa.  xliii.  10,  11,  25;  vi. 
3  ;  i.  16,  17  ;  Joel  ii.  13  ;  this  very  time  corresponds 
with  that  of  the  seven  sages,  when  philosophy  timidly 
essayed  its  first  steps  ;  when  Thales  drew  the  world 
*  From  five  to  eight  hundred  years  before  Christ, 


80  INSPIRATION 

from  water,  and  Pythagoras  taught  the  metempsycho- 
sis ;  Anaxagoraa  had  hardly  appeared,  and  Socrates 
was  not  yet  born.  At  this  time  David  celebrated  the 
creation,  providence,  and  grace,  in  strains  which, 
from  age  to  age,  give  pure  and  exquisite  delight  to 
every  pious  mind,  when  confessing  his  sin,  as  an 
act  of  rebellion  against  God ;  but,  at  the  same  time, 
confiding  in  the  loving  kindness  of  Him  whom  he 
had  offended,  he  wrote  these  words,  which  have  no 
counterpart  in  the  whole  of  profane  antiquity  :  "  I  ac- 
knowledge my  transgressions  :  and  my  sin  is  ever 
before  me.  Against  thee,  thee  only,  have  I  sinned, 
and  done  this  evil  in  thy  sight. — Purge  me  with  hys- 
sop, and  I  shall  be  clean:  wash  me,  and  I  shall  be 
whiter  than  snow,"  Psalm  li.  3,  4,  7.  This  period 
preceded  that  in  which  Homer  and  Hesiod,  by  their 
beautiful,  but  vain  fables,  excited  the  admiration  of 
their  countrymen.  Moses,  who  published  the  Deca- 
logue, that  everlasting  code  of  the  purest  morality, 
the  foundation  of  all  laws  and  of  all  society,  was  con- 
temporary with  Orpheus  :  and  the  Greeks  wept  over 
the  adventures  of  Eurydice,  while  the  Jews  listened 
with  terror  to  the  proclamation  of  the  law  from  Mount 
Sinai.  Abraham,  who  understood  the  value  of  faith, 
and  the  necessity  of  implicit  obedience  to  the  com 
mands  of  God — Joseph,  who  when  pressed  to  com- 
mit an  action  which  was  regarded  as  a  trivial  fault 
among  the  heathen,  cried,  "  How  can  I  do  this  great 
wickedness,  and  sin  against  God  ?" — correspond  to 
Inachus,  Cadmus,  Cecrops — to  the  most  profound 
moral  darkness.  So  strong  a  light,  on  the  one  hand, 
such  total  obscurity  on  tne  other ;  and  the  light  among 
a  people  deemed  barbarous,  and  the  darkness  among 
the  most  civilized ;  who  can  explain  this,  if  the  Bible 
be  not  the  book  of  God  ?  How  wonderful  a  people 
are  the  Jews !  Before  the  coming  of  Christ,  and 
when  they  alone  read  the  prophetic  writings,  they 
were,  in  their  knowledge  of  God,  unequalled  among 


OF    THE    BIBLE.  81 

the  nations  of  the  earth  ;  and  hardly  had  the  gospel 
extended  to  the  <  rreeks  and  Romans,  than  these  same 

Jews  tell  as  much  below  as  they  had  formerly  sur- 
passed them!  And  yet,  men  cannot  perceive  that 
they  owed  their  former  superiority  to  their  possession 
of  the  Old  Testament,  and  their  subsequent  inferiority 
to  their  rejection  of  the  New  ! 

Von  will  ihid  all  this  in  religion,  sir;  but  you  will 
find  greater  things  than  these.  You  will  find  doc- 
trines perfectly  adapted  to  your  moral  necessities. 
You  will  find  in  Jesus  Christ  the  God  of  man  ;  the 
God  of  sinners  ;  your  God.  Miracles,  prophecies, 
will  then  appear  merely  secondary  proofs,  to  which 
will  succeed  moral  evidence,  more  precious  and  per- 
suasive still.  Your  difficulties  will  he  lost  in  a  flood 
of  light ;  and  you  will  confess,  that  if  the  external 
evidence  in  favor  of  the  Bible  is  such  that  you  can- 
not but  believe  it,  however  strange  its  contents  may 
appear,  the  internal  evidence,  in  its  turn,  is  so  con- 
clusive, that  you  would  recognise  the  Bible  as  the 
work  of  God,  were  you  to  find  it  in  a  desert,  unsup- 
ported by  any  testimony.  I  express  myself  with 
warmth,  sir.  It  is  because  I  speak  from  personal 
experience.  I  confess  there  was  a  time  when  I 
doubted ;  but  I  examined,  and  I  believed.  0,  sir, 
will  not  this  blessed  experience  be  yours  also  ? 

Mr.  de  Lassalle. — You  press  me  very  closely,  my 
dear  sir ;  but  not  so  quick.  At  all  events,  I  cannot 
understand  how  it  is  that  every  body  is  not  convinced 
of  the  truth  of  religion,  if  the  evidence  in  its  favor  is 
so  strong.  Nevertheless,  I  am  quite  sincere  ;  and 
sure  I  am  that  if  I  have  not  believed,  it  is  no  fault  of 
mine. 

The  Abbe. — If  men  are  not  more  generally  con- 
vinced of  the  truth  of  religion,  it  is  because  they  give 
no  heed  to  it ;  or  because  they  reject  it.  You  are 
sincere,  say  you  ?  Sincere  in  the  sense  of  Rousseau, 
you  certainly  are,  and  more  so  than  he  was.     But 


82  INSPIRATION    OF    THE    BIBLE. 

sincerity  is  not  all  that  is  requisite.  In  \ain  might 
the  husbandman  sow  tares  in  his  field,  sincerely  be- 
lieving  that  he  was  Bowing  wheat:  he  would  never- 
theless reap  nothing  but  tares.  So  the  doctrines  of 
infidelity,  with  whatever  sincerity  they  may  be  re- 
ceived, can  neither  enlighten  nor  save  mankind.  It 
is  truth  that  he  requires.  But  I  will  say  more. 
Wherever  sincerity  really  exists,  Christianity  is  not 
far  off.  Can  that  sincerity  be  true,  which  does  not 
lead  us  to  examine  ?  Seek  truth.  Seek  it  by  every 
possible  means.  Then  you  will  be  sincere  :  but  then, 
without  being  a  prophet,  I  foresee  you  will  soon  be  a 
believer.  And  should  it  be  true,  sir,  that  the  Christian 
religion  is  of  God !  Should  it  be  true,  that  you  must 
believe  the  gospel  in  order  to  be  saved !  Should  it 
be  true,  that  in  neglecting  it,  you  are  consigning  your 
soul  to  eternal  perdition  ! 

Lucilla,  (after  a  pause.) — My  husband  has  left  us. 
He  is  agitated.  I  am  myself  too  much  affected  to 
speak  now.  You  have  done  me  good.  Be  assured 
of  my  warmest  gratitude.  I  shall  soon  write  to  you. 
Adieu ! 


PART  II. 

INTERPRETATION    OF    THE    BIBLE. 
LETTER  I. 

LUCILLA    TO   THE    ABBE   FAVIEN. 

Blessed  be  the  day  when  I  first  indulged  the  heav- 
en-inspired thought  of  writing  to  you !  You  have 
dissipated  all  my  doubts.  Nothing,  I  imagine,  can 
give  greater  pleasure  to  a  minister  of  Christ,  than 
to  bring  back  a  lost  sheep  to  the  fold.  I,  sir,  am  this 
lost  sheep  ;  and  you  have  led  me  back.  At  least,  you 
have  begun  this  good  work  ;  and  I  confidently  hope 
you  will  complete  it.  Yesterday  I  received  the  par- 
cel you  have  had  the  goodness  to  send  me,  with  the  note 
that  accompanied  it.  I  gratefully  accept  the  copy  of 
Pascal's  "  Thoughts,"  which  you  kindly  enclosed, 
and  have  already  read  several  of  the  passages  you 
pointed  out.  They  are  of  exquisite  strength  and 
beauty.  But  how  shall  I  describe  the  pleasure  your 
manuscript  gave  me  ?  It  was  indeed  kind  and  con- 
siderate of  you  thus  to  write  down  the  two  conver- 
sations we  have  had  together  ;  and  you  have  done 
this  so  naturally,  that  when  I  read  it,  I  almost  fancy 
we  are  still  talking  together. 

I  have  examined,  with  renewed  interest,  your  whole 
line  of  argument ;  and  if,  while  hearing  you  enlarge 
upon  it,  I  might  have  feared  the  seduction  of  your 
eloquence,  I  am  now  convinced,  by  this  deliberate 
6urvey,  that  your  eloquence  is  that  of  reason  ;  and 


84  INTERPRETATION 

that  the  solidity  of  your  proofs  justifies  the  fervor 
of  your  faith.  Both  mind  and  heart  are  equally  in 
favor  of  the  gospel ;  and  I  no  longer  doubt  that  Je- 
sus Christ  is  the  Son  of  God,  nor  that  the  Holy 
Bible  is  an  inspired  book. 

1  cannot  tell  you,  sir,  what  comfort  I  derive  from 
this  conviction.  New  light  dawns  upon  my  mind. 
I  have  a  foretaste  of  a  new  existence.  Something 
serious  and  profound  is  about  to  occupy  the  place 
which  has  hitherto  been  absorbed  by  trivial  interests. 
I  once  heard  a  pious  person  say,  "  There  is  in  the 
heart  of  man  a  void,  which  only  God  can  fill."  It 
seems  to  me  as  if  I  were  now  about  to  experience  the 
truth  of  this.  Not  that  the  future  appears  strewed 
with  roses.  I  anticipate  conflicts,  I  expect  sacrifices. 
Nevertheless,  I  am  not  disheartened  by  this  prospect. 
I  also  begin  to  feel  ill  at  ease  with  myself.  I  insen- 
sibly discover  in  my  heart  and  life  things  which  are 
not  as  they  ought  to  be,  and  which  must  be  displeasing 
to  God.  But  if  God  thus  makes  me  feel  my  need  of 
him,  surely  it  is  not  in  order  to  cast  me  off!  Amidst 
all  the  thoughts  which  agitate  me,  I  find  inexpressible 
consolation  in  saying  to  myself,  "  God  has  spoken ; 
what  more  do  I  require  ?  God  has  spoken  ;  I  have 
only  to  listen  to  his  voice,  and  follow  him." 

You  it  is  who  have  taught  me  to  discover  this 
voice.  0,  provide  me  with  the  means  of  hearing  it! 
My  heart  already  expands  to  receive  its  divine  in- 
structions !  The  fragments  of  the  Bible  contained 
in  my  "  Manual"  will  not  suffice  me.  I  must  see  the 
whole  of  the  inspired  wrritings  before  I  can  fully  ap- 
preciate the  wonderful  harmony  you  have  so  well 
described.  Pray  procure  me  a  Bible,  my  dear  sir. 
I  long  to  have  one,  to  read  it,  to  devote  myself  to  the 
study  of  its  holy  pages.  I  might  have  bought  a  copy 
of  the  sacred  writings  from  one  of  those  wandering 
colporteurs,*  wrho  have  hawked  them  about  the  coun- 
*  Hawkers.  Various  Protestant  Societies  in  France  employ  col- 


OK    THE    BIBLE.  85 

trv  during  the  last  year  01  two.  But  though  they 
offer  us  Catholic  versions,  our  Cure  has  exhorted  w 
from  the  pulpit  not  to  buy  them.     He  affirms  that 

they  are  not  the  purr  word  of  God;  that  important 
alterations  have  been  made  in  them;  and  that  whole 
hooks  have  been  excluded.  Jt  is  true,  he  is  not  a  man 
in  whom  one  can  place  unlimited  confidence  :  yet  he 
may  he  right :  and  I  tremble  at  the  thought  of  trust- 
ing myself  aione  to  the  guidance  of  a  book,  which 
some  impious  hand  may  have  altered,  even  in  the 
least  degree.  I  would  rather  defer  my  possession  of 
a  copy  of  the  Scriptures  till  I  can  receive  one  from 
your  hands. 

Before  I  conclude,  I  must  add  a  few  words  respect- 
ing my  husband.  You  have  certainly  made  a  great 
impression  upon  his  mind.  Since  your  visit  1  have 
not  once  heard  him  ridicule  religion.  He  has  read 
your  manuscript  attentively ;  and  it  is  still  his  inten- 
tion carefully  to  investigate  the  truth  of  Christianity. 
But  I  see,  with  some  uneasiness,  that  he  puts  off  this 
inquiry  from  day  to  day. 


LETTER  II. 

THE    ABBE    FAVIEN    TO    LUCILLA. 

You  are  not  mistaken  in  thinking,  that  the  pious 
feelings  which  your  letter  displays  would  prove  a  source 
of  true  consolation  to  my  mind.  If  it  be  true,  that  I 
have  had  any  share  in  producing  so  happy  a  change, 
I  most  heartily  thank  God  for  it.  To  Him  let  us 
ascribe  all  the  glory,  overlooking  the  feeble  instru- 
ment of  which,  in  his  mercy,  he  has  deigned  to  make 
use.     Doubt  not,  my  dear  madam,  that  He  who  has 

porteurs,  who  travel  through  the  country,  and  offer  copies  of  the 
Holy  Scriptures,  at  cheap  prices,  from  door  to  door.     Great  good 
has  been  clone  by  the  labors  of  these  men. — Tr. 
8 


86  1NTERPRETATI0N 

brought  you  into  the  good  and  right  way,  will  lead 
you  safely  to  the  end  ;  and  you  may  confidently  say 
with  the  psalmist,  "  The  Lord  will  perfect  that  which 
concerneth  me  :  thy  mercy,  O  Lord,  endureth  for 
ever:  forsake  not  the  works  of  thine  own  hands," 
Psalm  cxxxviii.  8.  As  for  me,  I  am  quite  willing  to 
lend  you  every  assistance  in  my  power.  It  is  true,  I 
should  have  preferred  your  receiving  the  counsels  of 
your  natural  directors  ;  yet  I  dare  not  urge  you  on  so 
delicate  a  point.  I  can  conceive  all  that  is  exception- 
able in  your  position  ;  and  if  you  think  that  I  can  be 
of  any  service  to  you,  you  will  find,  at  least,  that  my 
zeal  will  not  fail  you. 

You  have  done  well  in  not  buying  a  Bible.  Those 
which  are  sold  by  the  agents  of  the  societies  called 
Biblical  and  Evangelical  are  incomplete,  as  your  Cure 
stated.  Several  books  are  wanting,  which  the  church 
includes  in  the  canon  of  the  Old  Testament ;  such  as 
Judith,  Susanna,  Maccabees,  and  others.  As  to  the 
reproach  of  falsification,  truth  obliges  me  to  say,  that 
it  is  utterly  without  foundation.  I  am  not  acquainted 
with  the  Protestant  versions,  sold  by  these  colpor- 
teurs ;  but  I  have  myself  bought  a  Catholic  Bible 
from  one  of  them.  It  is  according  to  the  version  of 
Sacy,  which  is  the  best  we  possess  in  French.  I  have 
compared  it  with  an  old  edition,  supported  by  the 
approbation  of  several  bishops ;  and  I  have  found  no 
other  difference  between  them  than  the  slight  changes 
which  time  almost  invariably  introduces  into  works 
which  are  frequently  reprinted.  I  am  indeed  grieved 
that  Mr.  Alexis,  who  is  a  worthy  man,  in  spite  of  his 
little  failings,  should  have  allowed  himself  to  make 
so  grave  an  imputation,  not  having  duly  examined  the 
subject.  Unfortunately,  he  is  not  the  only  one  who 
has  done  this  ;  and  I  much  fear  the  Catholic  church 
will  be  more  injured  by  the  use  of  such  means,  than 
by  the  attack  of  its  adversaries. 

My  opinion  of  the  books  which  are  sold  by  these 


OF    THE    BIRLE.  87 

agents  is  exactly  thai  of  one  of  our  most  respectable 
prelates,  who  died  Archbishop  of  Besangon.  When 
he  occupied  the  sec  of  Montauban,  a  colporteur,  who 

had  met  with  opposition  from  several  ecclesiastics  in 
his  diocess,  took  the  wise  precaution  of  submitting 
his  books  to  the  bishop's  inspection.  This  is  the 
answer  which  he  received  from  his  Grace.  In  order 
to  understand  it,  I  must  remind  you,  that  the  books 
which  the  Protestants  omit  belong  to  the  Old  Testa- 
ment only  ;  and  that  their  New  Testament  is  the  same 
as  ours. 

"  Montauban,  April  14,  1832. 
"  I  thank  you,  Mr.  Beneche,  for  the  gift  of  the 
Bible  and  the  New  Testament,  edition  1831.  It  did 
not  require  a  long  examination  to  assure  me,  that  the 
latter  is  in  every  respect  conformable  to  the  edition 
of  1759,  by  Mr.  Le  Maistre  de  Sacy,  under  the  ap- 
probation of  the  French  clergy.  Consequently,  no 
obstacle  exists  to  its  circulation  among  Catholics. 

"  The  case  is  not  the  same  with  respect  to  the  Old 
Testament,  in  which  are  omitted,  in  the  edition  of 
1831,  all  or  a  part  of  the  books  which  are  not  found  in 
the  Hebrew  text,  but  which  the  church  has  neverthe- 
less recognised  as  canonical ;  such  as  Tobit,  Judith, 
Esther,  Ecclesiastes,  Wisdom,  Maccabees,  and  the 
History  of  Susanna. 

"  To  approve  or  to  authorize  the  circulation  of  the 
Old  Testament  among  Catholics  would  be  to  recog- 
nise in  others,  besides  the  Church  of  Rome,  the  right 
of  judging  with  respect  to  the  inspiration  of  the  sa- 
cred writings,  and  to  subject  myself  to  the  awful 
threatenings  of  the  Holy  Spirit :  '  If  any  man  shall 
take  away  from  the  words  of  this  book,  God  shall 
take  away  his  part  out  of  the  book  of  life,'  Rev.  xxii. 
19.  So  I  advise  Mr.  Beneche  to  refrain  from  selling 
the  latter  work. 

"  L.  Guillaume,  Bishop  of  Montauban." 


88  INTERPRETATION 

Accor<]iri<_r  i<>  this,  [  should  not  have  objected  to 
procuring  a  copy  of  the  New  Testament,  sold 
by  the  colporteurs,  had  I  thought  the  time  arrived 
when  the  Holy  Scriptures  might  be  placed  in  your 
hands.  Bu1  I  think  you  would  do  well  to  wait  a  little 
longer;  and  [  would  rather  not  send  them  to  you  my- 
Belf,  in  spite  of  your  earnesl  and  touching  solicita- 
tions. 

Perhaps  you  are  surprised  at  this.  If,  however, 
you  will  call  to  mind  my  first  letter,  you  will  see  that 
my  views  have  not  changed.  Now  is  the  decisive 
time  with  you.  You  have  ascertained,  beyond  a  doubt, 
that  the  Bible  is  of  God.  You  have  been  convinced 
of  this  by  evidence,  and  not  by  believing  the  simple 
attestation  of  the  church.  So  far  this  is  well,  pro- 
vided that,  being  once  enlightened  on  the  subject,  you 
ever  after  submit  to  the  guidance  of  the  church, 
which  alone  has  received  authority  from  God  to  in- 
terpret the  Scriptures.  But  if,  unaided,  you  presume 
to  fathom  their  depths,  I  fear  that  you  will  be  misled 
by  your  private  feelings,  and  that  you  will  mistake 
your  own  opinions  for  the  thoughts  of  God.  1  fear 
this  doubly  lor  you,  my  dear  madam,  because  of  the 
impression  and  habits  of  your  childhood ;  and  also, 
if  the  whole  truth  must  be  told,  because  of  the  im- 
patience which  you  manifest  to  read  the  Scriptures — 
to  read  the  whole  of  them  yourself.  I  cannot  help 
considering  this  as  a  sort  of  exaltation,  which  will 
expose  you,  without  defence,  to  the  danger  I  have 
just  pointed  out.  My  frankness  will  not  displease 
you,  I  am  sure.  From  a  priest  you  expect  not  vain 
compliments.  Beware  of  self-will,  I  conjure  you. 
Beware  of  idle  curiosity.  Beware  even  of  excessive 
zeal.  You  would  not  be  the  first  whom  it  has  led 
astray.  How  sad,  if  when  on  the  point  of  reaching 
the  desired  haven,  you  should  be  cast  farther  from  it 
than  ever ! 

Begin,  then,  my  dear  madam,  by  consulting  the 


OF    THE    BIBLE.  89 

church,  and  by  receiving  the  doctrines  which  it  has 

found  in  tlic  Bible.  They  are  contained  in  writings 
which  everyone  may  comprehend.  You  will  find  them 
concisely,  but  clearly  stated,  in  the  "  Catechism  of 
the  Council  of  Trent,"  which  I  have  the  honor  of 
Bending  you  with  this  letter.  I  also  enclose  "Stories 
from  the  Biblej"  by  Royaumont.*  You  will  not  dis- 
dain this  little  work  because  it  is  written  for  children; 
it  is  the  more  simple  on  that  account :  and  as  it  ex- 
actly follows  the  order  of  the  Bible,  it  will,  in  some 
measure,  supply  the  place  of  that  sacred  book,  with- 
out presenting  the  same  disadvantages.  Moreover, 
these  disadvantages  will  not  always  exist ;  and  it  is 
not  my  intention  eventually  to  forbid  the  reading  of 
the  Bible.  All  that  I  desire  is,  that,  like  as  the 
"  new-born  babes,"  of  whom  one  of  the  apostles 
speaks,  you  will  be  satisfied  for  a  time  with  the 
11  milk"  which  the  church — that  good  and  tender  mo- 
ther— offers  you,  with  so  much  love.  In  the  course 
of  time,  when  you  are  able  to  bear  "  strong  meat," 
when,  "  by  reason  of  use,  your  senses  are  exercised 
to  discern  good  and  evil,"  you  will  be  supplied  with 
a  Bible.  The  church  itself  will  give  you  one,  pro- 
vided you  follow  its  directions,  as  to  the  order  and 
choice  of  the  passages  you  may  read,  and  adopt,  as 
is  most  due,  its  meaning  in  preference  to  your  own. 


LETTER  III. 

LUCILLA  TO  THE  ABBE. 


As  you  foresaw,  your  answer  has  surprised  me  to  the 
last  degree.  I  never  for  a  moment  doubted  that  you 
would  eagerly  grant  my  request.  Far  from  enter- 
taining the  slightest  scruple  on  the  subject,  I  imagined 

*  Histoires  de  la  Bible,  de  Royaumont. 


90  INTERPRETATION 

that  I  was  fulfilling  a  duly.  What,  sir,  you  persuade 
me  that  the  Bible  is  the  word  of  God,  and  then  re- 
fuse me  the  satisfaction  of  reading  il  ! 

I  understand  you  perfectly,  and  God  forbid  that  I 
should  mistake  your  pious  intention  !  You  wish  my 
faith  to  be  derived  from  the  Bible,  but  I  must  not 
draw  it  from  the  fountain-head.  Others,  better  able 
than  myself,  will  draw  it  for  me.  And  yet,  the  little 
I  have  hitherto  read  has  done  me  so  much  good! 
Was  it  not  the  Bible,  by  the  extracts  I  met  with  in 
my  ".Manual,*'  that  first  inspired  me  with  the  desire 
of  saving  my  soul?  and  was  it  not  this  desire  that 
prompted  me  to  address  you  7  If  I  have  had  the  pri- 
vilege of  hearing  your  instructions — if  I  am  at  length 
roused  from  my  long  inditrerence — if  I  now  seek  the 
truth,  from  which,  doubtless,  I  am  further  removed 
than  I  imagined — do  I  not  owe  all  this  to  the  Bible  ? 
I  feel  a  sort  of  gratitude  towards  this  sacred  volume. 
I  expected  it  as  one  expects  the  visit  of  a  faithful 
friend,  from  whom  we  hope  to  receive  salutary  coun- 
sels :  as  I  expected  you,  my  dear  sir,  on  the  day 
when  God,  in  his  mercy,  sent  you  to  remove  all  my 
doubts. 

You  fear  the  influence  of  the  impressions  which  I 
received  during  childhood.  It  is  true,  that  I  have 
more  than  once  seen  the  Bible  in  the  hands  of  my 
father ;  and  this  may  indeed  increase  my  desire  to 
possess  it.  Do  not,  however,  suppose  that  I  am 
prejudiced  in  favor  of  the  religious  opinions  of  my 
family.  I  think  I  have  already  told  you  that  my  pre- 
judices, if  such  I  have,  are  all  enlisted  on  the  opposite 
side.  But  that  I  may  be  fully  enlightened,  what  more 
simple  means  can  I  employ,  than  the  study  of  the 
book  which  both  Catholics  and  Protestants  recognise 
as  the  word  of  God  ? 

You  tell  me  that  [  must  mistrust  myself.  I  feel 
that  this  is  very  true  :  and  I  know  not  what  to  savin 
reply.    Does  Christian  humility  require  that  I  should 


OF    THE    BIBLE.  91 

abstain  from  reading  the  Bible  !  Well,  then,  I  will 
give  it  up.     Believe  me,  it'  this  is  not  a  question  of 

early  impressions,  it  is  still  less  a  question  of  self- 
love.     Graver  motives  determine  me ;  an  irresistible 

feeling  urges  me  on  in  spite  of  myself.  I  want  to 
my  soul.  At  any  price  I  seek  my  soul's  salva- 
tion. But  may  I  not  preserve  my  humility,  and  still 
read  the  Bible?  If  I  never  open  it  without  first 
saving  to  God,  "  Lord,  suffer  me  not  to  misunderstand 
thy  word  ;  and  refuse  nut  the  light  of  thy  grace  to 
thy  handmaid,  whose  chief  desire  is  to  know  thee, 
and  to  obey  thy  voice*' — O,  sir,  surely  God,  who  is 
goodness  itself,  would  preserve  me  from  error ! 

Is  the  Bible,  then,  so  obscure,  that  the  simple  and 
the  unlettered  cannot  understand  it  without  an  inter- 
preter ?  Has  God  spoken  only  to  the  learned?  Has 
he  not  first  provided  for  the  lowly  and  ignorant,  such 
as  myself?  Ah!  if  Christ  were  still  upon  the  earth, 
should  I  not  flee  to  listen  to  him  ;  should  I  not  desire 
to  see  him  :  to  see  him  with  my  own  eyes  ;  and  to 
hear  him  with  my  own  ears  ?  I  have  nearly  a  simi- 
lar feeling  with  respect  to  the  Bible.  I  know  that  it 
is  the  voice  of  God.  You  have  taught  me  to  consi- 
der it  as  such.  I  burn  to  hear  it ;  I  want,  to  hear  it 
myself;  whoever  interposes  between  it  and  me,  em- 
barrasses and  incommodes  me Excuse  me, 

sir ;  perhaps  I  offend  God  in  the  person  of  his  mi- 
nister ;  God  knows  that  this  is  not  my  intention ! 
Forgive  my  ignorance,  all  these  things  are  new  to 
me. 

Allow  me  fully  to  explain  myself.  You  wish  that 
I  should  allow  myself  to  be  directed  by  the  church  in 
the  reading  of  the  Bible  ;  and  that  I  should  abstain 
from  it  so  long  as  the  church  sees  good.  I  am  ready 
to  do  this,  quite  ready,  if  it  be  the  will  of  God.  But 
you  will  not  require  me  to  yield  without  proofs.  Give 
me  your  reasons.  Do  in  this  instance  what  you  did 
when  I  doubted  the  inspiration  of  the  Bible,  and  in 


92  INTERPRETATION 

which  you  have  so  well  succeeded.  I  confidently 
hope  that  you  will  give  me  this  fresh  proof  of  your 
zeal  for  my  welfare.  Speak:  I  listen.  How  can  I 
fear  to  err  while  I  submit  to  your  direction ! 

P.  S.  I  know  not  whether  I  ought  to  tell  you  of  a 
remark  which  was  made  by  Mr.  Lassalle.  I  had 
given  him  your  letter  to  read.  In  returning  it  he 
said,  rather  sharply,  "  Then  why  did  he  urge  me  so 
strongly  to  read  the  Old  Testament  ?  Does  he  reckon 
more  on  my  docility  than  oif  yours  ?"  This  reply  has 
deeply  grieved  me.  I  hoped  so  much  for  him  from 
the  reading  of  the  Bible  ;  and  it  is  true,  as  you  will 
remember,  that  you  advised  him  to  undertake  it. 


LETTER  IV. 

THE  ABBE  TO  LUCILLA. 

These  demonstrations,  these  perpetual  reasonings, 
are  not  what  I  should  have  chosen  for  you.  You 
have  a  secret  propensity  for  them,  which  I  would 
rather  combat  than  cherish.  You  wish  to  see  and 
understand  every  thing.  Believe  me,  you  will  find 
no  peace  but  in  entire  submission  of  mind.  Have 
you  then  forgotten  what  the  Lord  said  to  Thomas : 
"  Blessed  are  they  who  have  not  seen,  and  yet  have 
believed  V  But  I  feel  that  I  have  entered  upon  a 
plan  with  you,  which  I  know  not  how  to  abandon ; 
and  being  placed  in  this  alternative,  either  again  to 
satisfy  you,  or  perhaps  throw  a  stumbling-block  in 
your  way,  I  think  it  my  duty  to  prove  to  you  the  au- 
thority of  the  church,  as  I  have  before  proved  the 
truth  of  Divine  revelation.  You  will  soon  be  led  to 
acknowledge,  that  the  first  is  not  less  clearly  esta- 
blished than  the  second  ;  and  that  the  Bible  and  the 
church  are  so  inseparably  connected  together,  that 


of  the  umr.E.  93 

one  cannot  be  a  consistent  Christian  without  being  a 

Catholic  Christian.  But  when  once  convinced  ol 
this,  stop,  I  conjure  you.  Allow  yourself  to  be  Led, 
and  beware  of  fighting  against  the  truth. 

We  are  agreed  thai  the  Bible  is  inspired  of  God. 
But  what  we  require  to  know  is,  not  the  Letter,  the 
text,  hut  the  spirit, the  meaning.  "The  letter  killeth, 
but  the  spirit  giveth  Life,"saith  the  apostle,  2  Cor.iii. 
6.  How  is  the  divine  sense  which  is  bidden  in  the 
Bible  to  be  discovered  ?  'This  is  the  question.  To 
tli is  question  there  are  two  replies.  Some,  say, 
"  Every  one  must  examine  for  himself,  confiding  in 
his  own  private  judgment."  This  is  the  natural  way; 
and  I  am  not  surprised  that  it  is  the  first  which  has 
presented  itself  to  your  mind.  Others  say,  "  God 
has  established  a  visible  and  permanent  tribunal  upon 
earth,  whom  he  has  charged  to  interpret  the  Bible  in 
his  name,  and  whose  infallibility  ho  guaranties.  Lis- 
ten to  it,  and  submit  to  its  decisions."  This  is  the 
way  of  faith,  and  the  only  one,  as  you  will  soon  per- 
ceive, by  which  you  may  safely  attain  the  true  knowl- 
edge of  God. 

1  will,  in  the  first  place,  make  a  preliminary  re- 
mark, which  will  greatly  simplify  my  task.  There 
are,  properly  speaking,  two  points  to  be  proved  : 
First,  that  an  infallible  church  exists ;  secondly,  that 
this  church  is  the  Catholic.  Were  we  fully  to  dis- 
cuss the  second  point,  it  would  involve  us  in  histori- 
cal researches  unfitted  for  the  limits  of  a  letter.  But 
this  labor  is  not  necessary  ;  and  I  think  that  a  few 
words  will  be  sufficient  to  elucidate  this  particular 
article.  I  will  reserve  my  longer  arguments  for  the 
general  proposition.  For  in  this  case,  when  the  prin- 
ciple is  fully  established,  the  application  is  implied. 
Let  it  be  once  acknowledged  that  an  infallible  church 
exists,  and  it  will  be  easy  to  show  that  this  can  be  no 
other  than  the  Catholic.  A  very  simple  observation 
on  this  point  contains  all  that  is  necessary  for  our 


94  INTERPRETATION 

present  object :  The  Catholic  church  is  the  only  one 
that  lays  claim  to  infallibility.  A  church  established 
by  God  to  pronounce  infallible  judgment  in  every  case 
of  controversy,  must  itself  be  aware  of  the  fact ;  and, 
consequently,  all  dissenting  churches,  as  they  do  not 
believe  themselves  infallible,  cannot  possibly  be  so. 
This  privilege,  then,  or  rather  this  awfal  charge,  re- 
mains uncontested  with  the  Catholic  church.  Con- 
sult experience.  Have  you  ever  met  with  any  one 
who  believed  in  an  infallible  church,  and  who  refused 
to  accept  the  authority  of  ours  ?  And  is  it  not  true, 
that  you  yourself,  madam,  if  you  were  convinced  that 
an  infallible  church  exists,  would  never  think  of  seek- 
ing it  elsewhere  than  in  that  church  which  you  see 
reigning  over  almost  the  whole  of  Christendom  ? 

Let  us,  then,  confine  ourselves  to  the  chief  point. 
Let  us  prove  the  existence  of  a  visible  church,  which 
God  hath  established  for  the  interpretation  of  the 
Scriptures,  and  which  he  directs  in  all  its  decisions. 
I  shall  adduce  three  proofs  in  support  of  this  propo- 
sition :  Arguments,  which  demonstrate  the  necessity 
of  this  infallible  tribunal  ;  Holy  Scripture,  which 
teaches  us  that  it  has  been  instituted  by  God  ;  and 
tradition,  from  which  we  learn  that  it  has  always  been 
acknowledged. 

FIRST  PROOF. 

THE   NECESSITY    OF    THIS   TRIBUNAL. 

Reason  alone  suffices  to  show  the  necessity  of  an 
infallible  tribunal.  The  meaning  of  the  Bible  must 
be  obscure  and  profound,  in  proportion  as  it  is  Divine. 
And  yet  we  would  trust  to  our  own  private  judgment 
for  its  discovery  !  But  what  is  more  variable,  more 
subject  to  error,  than  private  judgment  ?  In  this  case, 
religion  would  be  abandoned  to  the  same  uncertainty 
in  which  all  philosophical  theories  are  involved.  In 
4 


OF    THE    BIBLE.  95 

philosophy,  doubt  may  be  tolerated,  because  it  does 
not  affect  salvation.  And  men  have  not  failed  to  in- 
dulge in  it.  Plato  and  Aristotle,  Leibnitz  and  Locke, 
Kant  and  his  disciples,  condemn  each  other,  and  en- 
gage in  endless  disputes.  Some,  indeed,  have  con- 
sidered universal  skepticism  as  the  highest  point  of 
wisdom.  But  the  world  fares  none  the  worse  for 
their  wrangling  ;  and  if  a  philosopher  is  mistaken,  the 
only  evil  that  results  from  his  error  is,  that  he  is  ne- 
glected after  his  death,  though  he  may  have  been  in 
high  repute  during  his  lifetime.  But  what  would 
become  of  us,  if  the  question  of  our  eternal  salvation, 
which  constitutes  the  chief  end  of  our  religion,  were 
thus  abandoned  to  the  caprice  of  systems  ?  It  is  to 
this,  nevertheless,  that  private  opinion  inevitably 
leads.  It  is  in  vain  you  urge,  that  the  Bible  is  the 
word  of  God.  In  this  we  are  agreed.  But  we  must 
understand  the  Bible.  If  private  opinion  be  charged 
with  its  interpretation,  it  will  turn  the  word  of  God 
into  as  many  meanings  as  there  are  teachers  who  un- 
dertake its  explanation.  And  why  should  not  every- 
body undertake  it  ? 

At  this  rate,  madam,  of  what  service  is  the  Bible  ? 
Revelation  becomes  useless.  I  will  say  more  :  it 
would,  perhaps,  have  been  better  for  us  never  to  have 
possessed  it.  Then,  at  least,  we  should  have  been 
spared  the  scandal  of  seeing  the  doctrine  of  God  a 
prey  to  all  the  caprices  of  opinion  ;  Holy  Scripture 
serving  as  food  to  hopeless  quarrels  ;  the  truth  brought 
into  disrepute  ;  and,  to  use  an  expression  of  Jesus 
Christ,  "  light  itself  turned  into  darkness."  Would 
you  ever  recognise  this  as  the  work  of  God  ?  No,  no. 
It  is  impossible  to  admit  the  order  which  our  adver- 
saries suppose,  because  it  is  unworthy  of  his  wisdom  ; 
or  rather,  this  order  would  be  nothing  less  than  or- 
ganized disorder.  Jesus  Christ  cannot  have  left  his 
work  unfinished.  He  must  necessarily  have  some- 
where established  a  tribunal,  to  which  he  has  given 


96  INTERPRETATION 

sovereign  authority  and  positive  light  to  explain  his 
■written  word.  Without  this  auxiliary,  the  written 
word  would  qo  more,  suffice  for  the  church,  than  a 
code  of  laws  would  meet  the  wants  of  society,  with- 
out a  body  of  judges  to  explain  and  enforce  them. 
Such  a  code,  isolated,  mute,  unapplied,  would  only 
engender  endless  disputes.  Let  us  then  conclude, 
madam,  that  a  visible  tribunal  exists  ;  because  it  is 
indispensable  for  the  peace  of  the  church  ;  for  the 
unity  of  the  faith  ;  and,  if  I  may  so  express  myself, 
for  the  honor  of  the  Scriptures  themselves. 

This  is  what  reason  itself  suggests  ;  and  you  must 
allow  that  its  arguments  are  strong.  But  we  have 
something  still  more  decisive  ;  I  mean  fact.  If  rea- 
son cannot  conceive  that  God  should  have  established 
his  church,  without  forming,  at  the  same  time,  an  in- 
fallible tribunal  in  its  bosom,  Scripture  and  history 
combine  to  attest  that  such  a  tribunal  has  in  reality 
been  formed.     Let  us  first  examine  Scripture. 

SECOND  PROOF. 

HOLY    SCRIPTURE. 

There  exists  on  earth  a  church  of  Christ,  which 
has  the  promise  of  eternal  protection.  "  The  gates 
of  hell  shall  not  prevail  against  it,"  Matt.  xvi.  18. 
This  church  has  Jesus  Christ  for  its  celestial  Head  : 
but  it  has  also  terrestrial  heads,  whom  the  Holy  Ghost 
has  established  over  it.  "  Take  heed  therefore  unto 
yourselves,  and  to  all  the  flock,  over  the  which  the 
Holy  Ghost  hath  made  you  overseers,  to  feed  the 
church  of  God,"  Acts  xx.  28  ;  "  He  that  heareth  you 
heareth  me  ;  and  he  that  despiseth  you  despiseth 
me,"  Luke  x.  16.  We  owe  them  obedience,  even 
when  their  virtue  would  not  otherwise  entitle  them 
to  it.  "  Be  subject  also  to  the  froward,"  1  Pet.  ii.  18. 
And,  above  all,  this  church  has  a  head,  a  successor 


OF    THE    BIBLE.  97 

from  St.  Peter,  to  whom  special  promises  are  given  : 
uThou  art  Peter,  and  upon  this  rock  I  will  build  my 
church.  And  I  will  give  unto  thee  the  keys  of  the 
kingdom  of  heaven  :  and  whatsoever  thou  shalt  bind 
on  earth  shall  lie  bound  in  heaven  :  and  whatsoever 
thou  shall  loose  on  earth  shall  be  loosed  in  heaven. 
Simon.  1  have  prayed  for  thee,  that  thy  faith  fail  not. 
And  u  hen  thou  art  converted,  strengthen  thy  brethren. 
Feed  ray  lambs,  feed  my  sheep/'  Matt.  xvi.  18,  19; 
Luke  xxii.  32  ;  John  xxi.  15,  17.  The  ministers  of 
this  church  have  power  to  remit  and  to  retain  sins  ; 
a  power  which  we  have  just  seen  more  especially 
ascribed  to  the  apostle  Peter.  "  Whatsoever  ye  shall 
bind  on  earth  shall  be  bound  in  heaven  :  and  what- 
soever ye  shall  loose  on  earth  shall  be  loosed  in 
heaven.  Whosesoever  sins  ye  remit,  they  are  re- 
mitted unto  them  ;  and  whosesoever  sins  ye  retain, 
they  are  retained."  Matt,  xviii.  18;  John  xx.  23. 
This  church  is  visible  ;  it  may  be  consulted ;  and  its 
decisions  ought  to  be  respected  as  those  of  God  him- 
self: '-If  thy  brother  trespass  against  thee,  tell  it 
unto  the  church  :  but  if  he  neglect  to  hear  the  church, 
let  him  be  unto  thee  as  an  heathen  man  and  a  publi- 
can.*' .Matt,  xviii.  15, 17.  This  church  is  "  the  pillar 
and  ground  of  the  truth,"  1  Tim.  iii.  15.  Christ  will 
never  abandon  it :  "  Lo,  I  am  with  you  alway,  even 
unto  the  end  of  the  world,"  Matt,  xxviii.  20  :  a  prom- 
ise which  cannot  apply  to  the  apostles  alone,  but 
which*must  extend  to  their  successors  ;  since  the 
apostles  could  not  live  till  the  consummation  of  all 
things.  Then,  when  leaving  the  earth,  in  order  to 
reassure  them  against  the  fear  of  being  deprived  of 
his  assistance,  Christ  promises  them  the  Holy  Spirit, 
who  shall  ^uidethem  into  all  truth  :  "  I  will  pray  the 
Father,  and  he  shall  give  you  another  Comforter,  that 
he  may  abide  with  you  for  ever.  He  shall  teach  you 
all  things.  For  it  is  not  ye  that  speak,  but  the  Spiri 
of  your  Father  which  speaketh  in  vou."  John  xiv 
9 


98  INTERPRETATION 

16,  26  ;  xvi.  13  ;  Matt.  x.  20.  And  these  same  dis- 
ciples of  Christ,  shortly  afterwards  assembled  in  Je- 
rusalem, did  not  fear  thus  to  commence  a  letter  which 
they  addressed  to  the  churches  :  "  It  seemed  good  to 
the  Holy  Ghost,  and  to  us,"  Acts  xv.  28  ;  thus  show- 
ing the  authority  which  God  conferred  on  his  bishops 
assembled  in  council.  From  all  this,  one  of  the  apos- 
tles draws,  with  respect  to  the  interpretation  of  the 
prophecies,  a  conclusion  which  is  evidently  as  appli- 
cable to  the  other  parts  of  Scripture,  and  which  of 
itself  alone  is  sufficient  to  decide  the  question : 
"  Knowing  this  first,  that  no  prophecy  of  the  Scrip- 
ture is  of  any  private  interpretation,"  2  Peter  i.  20. 

Frankly,  madam,  now  are  not  these  passages  enough 
to  convince  an  unprejudiced  mind  that  there  must  be 
a  visible  church  on  earth,  to  which  the  gift  of  infalli- 
bility had  been  promised  ;  and  which,  being  traced 
back  to  the  apostles,  through  an  uninterrupted  suc- 
cession, will  endure  to  the  end  of  time  ? 

THIRD  PROOF. 

TRADITION. 

I  appeal,  lastly,  to  historical  fact.  A  perpetual 
tradition,  which  dates  from  the  time  of  the  apostles, 
attests  that  men  have  always  acknowledged  the  ex- 
istence of  an  infallible  church. 

But  let  us  here  anticipate  an  objection,  it  may 
be  urged,  that  tradition  cannot  afford  any  positive 
proof,  because  it  is  but  the  testimony  of  fallible  men. 
The  answer  is  easy.  I  shall  not  appeal  to  your  good 
sense,  madam,  or,  I  ought  rather  to  say,  to  your  piety, 
for  an  impartial  opinion  of  a  doctrine,  according  to 
which,  nothing  is  proved  by  the  unanimous  consent 
of  even  the  apostolic  churches.  I  will  not  allege 
that  the  testimony  of  men,  when  these  men  are  Chris- 
tians of  the  first  centuries,  the  cotemporaries  and  the 


OF    THE    IUHLE.  99 

immediate  successors  of  tin-  apostles,  may  have  been 
specially  directed  of  God,  and  preserved  from  error. 
though  I  could  show  that  this  has  indeed  been  the 
case.  Bui  what  I  wish  to  prove,  is  not,  properly 
speaking,  the  infallibility  of  primitive  tradition :  it  is 
the  existence  of  an  infallible  church.  To  this  end 
it  suffices  to  consider  tradition  as  an  historical  testi- 
mony, without  urging  the  warrants  of  Divine  protec- 
tion, which  render  its  authority  equal  to  that  of  the 
written  word.  Here,  then,  in  this  point  of  view,  is 
a  short  and  peremptory  reply  to  the  ohjection  I  have 
just  mentioned.  It  is,  that  were  the  ohjection  valid, 
it  would  produce  no  less  an  effect  than  the  overthrow 
of  Christianity  itself.  It  would  sap  its  very  foundation. 
For  this  tradition,  which  some  affect  to  distrust,  is 
indispensable  to  all  parties  in  order  to  demonstrate 
both  the  authenticity  and  integrity  of  Scripture  ;  and 
also  the  miracles  and  prophecies,  which  demonstrate, 
in  their  turn,  the  inspiration  of  the  Old  and  New 
Testaments.  Men  must  be  consistent  with  them- 
selves :  if  they  reject  tradition,  they  must  reject  it  in 
every  case.  Then,  indeed,  they  may  refuse  to  admit 
its  testimony  in  favor  of  an  infallible  church  ;  but  they 
must  also  refuse  its  testimony  in  favor  of  the  inspi- 
ration of  the  Scriptures.  Is  it  to  this  that  they  would 
bring  us  ?  At  all  events,  madam,  it  is  not  to  this  that 
you  wash  to  be  brought.  On  the  other  hand,  if  we 
receive  the  testimony  of  tradition  in  favor  of  the 
Bible,  there  is  no  reason  why  we  should  doubt  the 
testimony  of  this  same  tradition  in  favor  of  the  church. 
We  may  then,  I  think,  pass  boldly  over  this  pretended 
difficulty,  and  without  scruple,  invoke  the  aid  of  tradi- 
tion to  establish  the  existence  of  an  infallible  tribunal. 
We  shall  find  the  proof  of  this  in  several  passages 
drawn  from  the  writings  of  the  most  ancient  and 
universally  venerated  among  the  fathers.  I  must  not 
forget  that  I  write  for  a  lady.  Two  or  three  quota- 
tions  will  suffice  me. 


INTERPRETATION 

St.  Irenaeus  was  the  disciple  of  St.  Polycarp,  who 
had  been  the  disciple  of  St.  John  the  Evangelist. 
You  see  that  Irenaeus  was  almosl  cotemporary  with 

the  apostles.  This  holy  martyr,  when  contending 
with  the  heretics,  did  not  rest  his  arguments  on  the 
Scriptures  alone  ;  he  especially  brings  forward  against 

them  the  invariable  faith  of  the  universal  church.  "  It 
is  by  this  perpetual  and  uniform  tradition,"  says  he, 
"  it  is  by  this  faith  preached  by  the  apostles,  received 
into  the  world,  and  preserved  to  the  present  hour  by 
the  bishops  who  succeeded  them,  that  we  confound 
all  those  who  convoke  unlawful  assemblies,  from 
whatever  motive  it  may  be,  from  self-love,  blindness, 
or  malice."  After  having  indicated  the  succession  of 
the  bishops  of  Rome,  he  adds,  farther  on,  addressing 
certain  heretical  sects  : — "  I  wish  to  show  them  the 
force  of  tradition,  and  the  absolute  power  it  exercises 
over  the  heart  and  mind.  There  are  still  many  bar- 
barous nations, — I  call  them  barbarous  as  to  language  ; 
but  as  to  sentiment  and  doctrine  they  are  wise  and 
well-pleasing  to  God,  since  they  dwell  in  righteous- 
ness and  chastity.  All  these  nations,  I  say,  have 
received  the  faith  of  Christ,  without  paper  or  ink. 
They  have  nothing  more  than  the  doctrine  of  salva- 
tion written  in  their  hearts  by  the  Holy  Ghost :  and 
know  no  other  rule  of  faith  than  the  ancient  tradition, 
which  they  faithfully  preserve,  touching  God  the 
Creator,  and  Jesus  Christ,  his  Son.  Their  forefathers, 
instructed  by  the  apostles,  or  the  first  disciples,  have 
thus  learned  the  tradition,  and  have  transmitted  it  with 
the  same  fidelity  to  their  descendants  from  father  to 
son  :  not  having  hitherto  had  any  heretical  assemblies 
among  them."  (Against  Heresies,  book  iii.  chap.  3.) 

Thus  the  belief  of  these  simple  people  rested,  not 
on  the  Scriptures,  but  on  tradition  ;  and  yet  Ave  find 
that  St.  Irenaeus,  writing  so  near  the  time  of  the 
apostles,  far  from  condemning,  approves  them.  There 
was,  then,  according  to  St.  Irenaeus,  independent  of 


OF    THE    BIBLE.  101 

the  Scriptures,  an  authority,  whose  decisions  were 
law:   there  was  an  infallible  church. 

Another  father,  Tertullian,  who  wrote  at  the  begin- 
ning of  the  third  century,  declares  also,  "that  we 
cannot  know  what  the  apostles  have  preached,  ex- 
cept from  the  churches  which  they  have  founded, 
and  which  they  have  taught,  first,  by  word  of  mouth, 
and  afterwards  by  letter.  All  doctrine  which  agrees 
with  that  of  these  apostolic  and  mother  churches, 
which  are  as  ancient  as  the  faith  itself,  is  the  true 
doctrine  ;  since  it  is  that  which  the  churches  have 
received  from  the  apostles  ;  the  apostles  from  Jesus 
Christ ;  Jesus  Christ  from  God."  This  language 
supposes  that  the  universal  church  preserves  the 
apostolic  doctrine,  without  probability  of  error :  and 
Tertullian  is  so  far  from  consenting  that  any  private 
person  should  be  allowed  to  oppose  the  testimony  of 
Scripture  to  that  of  the  church,  that  he  adds  these 
remarkable  wTords  : — "  Even  should  the  issue  of  these 
disputes  on  Scripture  not  be  equally  favorable  to  both 
parties,  the  order  of  things  would  still  require  that  we 
should  begin  by  the  examination  we  are  now  about 
to  make.  To  whom  does  the  faith  itself  belong?  to 
whom  the  Scriptures  ?  from  whom,  by  whom,  to 
whom,  and  at  what  time,  has  the  Christian  doctrine 
been  transmitted  ?" — Prescriptions  against  Heretics, 
sec.  xix.  xxi. 

I  could  also  quote  St.  Cyprian,  the  disciple  of  Ter- 
tullian, who  wrote,  in  his  Treatise  on  the  Unity  of  the 
Catholic  Church,  "  that  the  church  founded  by  St. 
Peter,  is  never  separate  from  Jesus  Christ ;  that  the 
bishop  is  in  the  church,  and  the  church  in  the  bishop  ; 
so  that  he  who  is  not  with  the  bishop,  is  not  in  the 
church ;  that  this  chaste  spouse  of  Christ  Jesus  can- 
not be  corrupted  ;  that  it  preserves  us  for  God ;  that 
he  who  forsakes  the  church  of  Christ  will  never  re- 
ceive the  recompense  of  Christ ;  and,  in  fine,  that  he 
who  has  not  the  church  for  his  mother,  cannot  have 
9* 


102  INTERPRETATION 

God  for  his  Father  " — Unity  of  the  Catholic  Church. 
end  of  letter  lxviii.  and  under  Eph.  iv.  4. 

But  I  fear  lesl  I  should  tire  you,  madam,  and  I 
hasten  to  mention  St.  Augustine.  No  doctor  enjoys 
a  higher  reputation  for  piety,  science,  and  genius; 
and  none  more  clearly  allirnis  the  existence  of  a  Ca- 
tholic church,  "  which,  set  upon  a  hill,  as  the  gospel 
saith,  must  be  known  throughout  the  world,  and  can- 
not remain  hid.  It  is  only  in  her  bosom  that  one  can 
find  sure  and  certain  unity;  so  that  it  should  never 
be  abandoned  on  any  consideration." — Against  the 
Letter  of  Parmenian,  book  iii.  chap.  v.  sec.  xxviii. 
This  church  being  the  only  one  which  lias  attested 
the  Divine  inspiration  of  the  Scriptures,  is  also,  ac- 
cording to  St.  Augustine,  the  only  one  that  is  able  to 
explain  them ;  and  those  who  believe  it  in  the  one 
instance,  says  he,  ought,  by  parity  of  reason,  to  be- 
lieve it  in  the  other.  This  is  precisely  the  same 
argument  which  I  have  just  employed  respecting  tra- 
dition. Can  any  thing  be  stronger  than  what  this  holy 
and  learned  man  has  written  on  the  subject,  to  the 
disciples  of  Manicheus  : — "  As  for  myself,  I  would 
not  believe  the  gospel,  did  not  the  authority  of  the 
Catholic  church  determine  me  to  do  so.  If,  then,  I 
hearken  to  those  who  tell  me  to  believe  the  gospel, 
why  should  I  refuse  to  hear  them  when  they  tell  me 
not  to  believe  in  Manicheus  ?  There  is  but  one  al- 
ternative. Either  you  cannot  show  me  any  thing  in 
the  gospel  which  is  evidently  favorable  to  Manicheus  ; 
and  in  this  case,  I  would  believe  the  Catholics  rather 
than  you ;  or  you  will  find  there  some  formal  testi- 
mony in  his  favor ;  and  then  I  should  believe  neither 
the  one  nor  the  other.  I  should  not  believe  them, 
because  they  would  have  deceived  me  respecting 
you ;  nor  you,  because  you  bring  forward  a  book 
which  I  have  only  believed  on  the  faith  of  men,  who, 
according  to  this  supposition,  would  have  deceived 
me." — Against  the  Epistle  of  Manicheus,  called  Fun- 


OV    TI1K     niHi.E. 


103 


tUtmenti,  chap.  v.  Wha1  signifies  this  language,  if 
there  is  not  a  visible  church  on  earth;  an  infallible 
trihiin;il  charged  with  the  interpretation  of  the  Scrip- 
tures, whose  inspiration  it  alone  has  been  able  to 
guaranty? 

I  could  multiply  testimonies  without  end.  But 
those  which  I  have  produced  are  sufficiently  nume- 
rous and  important  to  show,  that  from  the  origin  of 
Christianity,  men  have  believed  in  the  authority  of 
the  church,  and  in  the  necessity  of  implicit  submis- 
sion to  its  decisions.  In  order  to  doubt  the  truth  of 
this,  we  must  not  only  refuse  to  accredit  these  testi- 
monies, but  also  deny  a  number  of  well-authenticated 
farts,  which  prove  that  such  was  the  general  convic- 
tion. If  we  come  to  this,  it  remains  for  us  to  explain 
how  this  belief  suddenly  arose,  how  it  has  become 
prevalent,  and  has  been  established  throughout  the 
world,  without  our  being  able  to  discover  its  com- 
mencement, or  to  indicate  either  those  who  first  pro- 
posed or  those  who  have  resisted  it ;  or,  in  short,  to 
show  any  traces  of  this  controversy.  The  fact,  that 
this  belief  has  been  produced  and  authorized  by  long 
custom,  till  it  has  the  force  of  law,  affords  an  argu- 
ment of  great  weight.  For,  if  we  consider  how 
contrary  the  doctrine  of  an  infallible  church  is  to 
the  self-will  of  man,  (as  you  know  by  experience, 
madam,)  we  may  affirm,  that  the  authority  of  the 
church  is  sufficiently  proved,  by  the  fact  alone,  that 
it  has  been  recognised.  In  a  case  of  this  kind,  suc- 
cess is  justification ;  and  it  is  as  impossible  to  explain 
the  universal  establishment  of  this  authority,  if  it  be 
not  legitimate,  as  to  account  for  the  propagation  of 
Christianity  in  the  world,  if  God  have  not  taken  the 
cause  in  hand.  Such  is  the  argument  drawn  from 
tradition,  or,  if  you  will,  from  history.  I  cannot  con- 
tract it  so  as  to  suit  the  limits  of  a  letter,  without 
diminishing  its  force  ;  but  I  think  that  I  have  said 
enough  to  convince  a  mind  like  yours,  which,  indeed. 


104  INTERPRETATION 

requires  good  reasons,  but  knows  how  to  be  satisfied 
when  it  has  found  them. 

You  ask  for  proofs,  madam  ;  I  give  you  three.  If 
you  consider  that  any  one  among  them,  taken  sepa- 
rately, is  not  perfectly  conclusive,  you  must  at  least 
admit  that  they  complete  and  strengthen  each  other ; 
so  that,  when  united,  they  are  irresistible.  They 
have  appeared  such  to  a  Pascal,  a  Bossuet,  a  Fene- 
lon,  a  Massillon.  and  to  the  brightest  luminaries  of 
the  church  in  all  ages.  The  excellent  men  whom  I 
have  just  named,  though  divided  in  opinion  on  a  few 
points  of  minor  importance,  are  all  agreed  in  recog- 
nising an  infallible  church,  and  the  admirable  order 
which  Christ  has  established  in  its  bosom ;  subject- 
ing the  faithful  to  their  pastors,  the  pastors  to  their 
bishops,  and  all  the  bishops  of  Christendom  to  the 
Romish  See  ;  where  ends  this  wonderful  Catholic 
unity,  which  embraces  the  whole  earth,  and  has  no 
equal  in  the  history  of  mankind.  How  beautiful  is 
this  exclamation,  which  escaped  from  the  heart  of 
Bossuet,  in  the  Assembly  of  1682,  when  he  was  de- 
fending the  rights  of  the  Gallican  church  : — "  Holy 
Romish  church,  mother  of  churches,  and  mother  of 
all  the  faithful,  church  chosen  of  God  to  unite  his 
children  in  the  same  faith,  and  in  the  same  charity ; 
we  will  ever  seek  the  preservation  of  thy  unity  with 
the  most  yearning  solicitude !"  1  cannot,  indeed, 
conceive  how  any  humble-minded  lover  of  the  truth 
can  resist  such  weight  of  evidence.  I  know  that 
you  could  show  me,  in  the  communion  in  which  you 
were  born,  and  even  among  your  reformers,  both 
learned  and  virtuous  men.  Far  be  it  from  me, 
madam,  to  adopt  the  calumnies  which,  during  the 
last  few  years,  some  have  taken  the  pains  to  utter 
against  them.  But  you  know  the  power  of  prejudice, 
even  over  an  upright  mind.  Add  to  this,  the  tempt- 
ation suggested  by  pride  and  independence,  which  so 
easily  glides  into  the  hearts  of  such  as  possess  supe- 


OF    THE    BIBLE.  105 

rior  faculties;  and  you  u  ill  see  nothing  in  the  history 
of  all  dissenting  churches  for  which  we  cannot  rea- 
dily account,  even  admitting  the  truth  of  what  I  have 
just  demonstrated. 

But  the  history  of  these  churches  would  itself 
furnish  a  fresh  proof  of  the  necessity  of  a  visible 
tribunal.  The  great  Bossuet  very  clearly  shows 
this.  The  history  of  these  churches  is  but  that  of 
their  variations.  Hardly,  indeed,  can  they  be  called 
churches.  The  name  of  sects  is  much  more  appli- 
cable to  them  :  so  ready  are  they  to  separate  them- 
selves into  fractions,  which  again  are  subdivided  with- 
out end.  And  why  should  we  wonder  at  this  ?  The 
principle  once  established,  they  must  submit  to  its 
consequences,  as  they  will  not  have  a  judge  to  de- 
cide in  cases  of  controversy.  Dissenting  sects  can 
have  no  centre  of  authority ;  and  having  no  authority, 
they  can  have  neither  certainty  for  the  faithful,  nor 
unity  in  the  church.  "  Every  one,"  says  Bossuet, 
"  has  made  a  tribunal  for  himself,  in  which  he  con- 
stitutes himself  the  arbiter  of  his  belief;  and  though 
it  would  seem  that  these  innovators  had  wished  to 
restrain  the  minds  of  men,  by  confining  them  within 
the  limits  of  the  Holy  Scriptures,  yet  as  this  has 
only  been  on  condition  that  each  believer  should  him- 
self become  their  interpreter,  and  should  imagine 
that  the  Holy  Ghost  will  show  him  their  meaning, 
there  is  not  a  private  individual  who  does  not  con- 
ceive himself  authorized,  by  this  doctrine,  to  adore 
his  own  inventions,  to  consecrate  his  errors,  to  make 
God  the  creature  of  his  own  imagination.  From 
thence  it  has  been  truly  foreseen,  that  license  being  no 
Longer  subject  to  any  restriction,  sects  would  multiply 
to  infinitude ;  obstinacy  would  become  invincible ;  and 
whilst  some  would  engage  in  endless  disputes,  or 
would  set  forth  their  reveries  as  inspiration,  others, 
weary  of  so  many  idle  vagaries,  and  no  longer  able 
to  recognise  the  majesty  of  religion,  thus  torn  by  so 


106  INTERPRETATION 

many  sects,  would,  at  length,  seek  a  fatal  repose, 
and  entire  independence,  in  indifference  or  in  athe- 
ism."* This  same  Bossnet  showed  Claude,  in  his 
famous  discussion  with  that  minister,  to  what  lengths 
the  Protestant  principle  must  lead  him  :  and,  it  is 
said,  addressed  to  him  this  original  question  :  "  Do 
you  think,  sir,  that  a  poor  old  woman  can  possess  as 
much  light  as  a  whole  assembly  of  bishops?"  it  is 
added,  that  Claude  was  rather  embarrassed  by  this 
inquiry.  It  is,  in  fact,  a  somewhat  perplexing  one. 
But,  madam,  this  subject  must  be  painful  to  you.  I 
do  not  think  it  will  be  necessary  for  me  to  enlarge 
upon  it,  after  all  that  I  have  said  on  the  authority  of 
the  church.  And,  moreover,  you  must  be  well 
aware  of  the  evil ;  so  much  the  more  aware,  because 
you  were  born  a  Protestant. 

Allow  me,  madam,  to  warn  you  against  something 
which  your  last  letter  suggested.  Be  not  jealous 
of  the  authority  of  the  church,  as  though  it  obliged 
you  to  abandon  a  part  of  your  liberty.  To  yield  in 
such  a  case  is  not  to  give  up  one's  liberty  ;  it  is  to 
make  use  of  it :  and  you  ought  rather  to  rejoice  that 
the  church  gathers  and  keeps  in  store  for  you  all 
the  fruit  that  you  might  expect  from  the  reading  of 
the  Scriptures,  while  it  spares  you  the  danger  of 
their  perusal. 

Yes,  madam,  the  danger !  It  is  too  true,  too 
clearly  proved  by  sad  experience,  that  man,  who 
abuses  every  thing,  may  also  abuse  the  word  of 
God ;  and  that  this  holy  rule  of  faith  and  practice 
may  be  injurious  both  to  practice  and  faith,  where  il 
is  given  up  without  precaution  to  every  individual 
"  The  law,"  saith  St.  Paul,  "  is  holy,  and  the  com- 
mandment holy,  and  just,  and  good ;  but  sin,  that  it 
might  appear  sin,  worketh  death  in  me  by  that  which 
is  good,"  Rom.  vii.  12,  13.  We  find  in  the  Bible 
actions  contrary  to  all  our  received  maxims,  and 
*  Bossuet,  Funeral  Oration  on  the  Queen  of  England. 


OF    THE    BIBLE.  107 

nevertheless  approved  or  commanded  by  God ;  Avith 
many  other  things  difficult   to  believe,  and   winch 

might  :is;«)nish  those  who  ;ire  not  well  grounded  in 
the  faith.  We  also  find  narratives  opposed  to  all 
our  notions  of  decency,  and  which  might  be  a  sub- 
ject  of  scandal  to  one  brought  up  in  the  refinements 
of  the  present  day.  I  will  not,  however,  enlarge  on 
this  point.  Few  persons  are  gifted  with  sufficient 
simplicity  and  strength  of  mind  to  bear  the  reading 
of  the  entire  Bible.  There  are  not  many,  besides 
the  priests,  Avho  can  endure  so  strong  a  light ;  and, 
consequently,  it  is  to  them  that  the  Scriptures  have 
ever  been  intrusted.  Moses  expressly  says  this. 
"  When  Moses  had  made  an  end  of  writing  the 
words  of  this  law  in  a  book,  he  commanded  the 
Levites,  which  bare  the  ark  of  the  covenant  of  the 
Lord,  saying,  Take  this  book  of  the  law,"  Deut. 
xxxi.  24-26. 

This  is,  moreover,  the  opinion  of  a  man  whose 
respect  for  the  Bible  no  one  would  think  of  calling 
in  question.  Fcnelon  thus  wrote  to  a  bishop  : — 
"  It  must  be  confessed,  that  if  a  book  of  devotion, 
such  as  the  '  Imitation  of  Jesus  Christ,'  or,  '  The 
Spiritual  Combat,'  or,  '  The  Guide  to  Sinners,'  con- 
tained a  hundredth  part  of  the  difficulties  which  are 
met  with  in  Scripture,  you  would  think  it  a  duty  to 
forbid  its  perusal  in  your  diocess.  The  excellence 
of  the  book  would  not  prevent  you  from  concluding 
that  it  ought  not  to  be  promiscuously  given  to  the 
profane  and  curious ;  because  this  nourishment, 
though  marvellous  in  itself,  would  be  too  strong  for 
them,  and  they  would  be  unable  to  digest  it."  And 
then  this  holy  bishop  concludes  his  letter  by  these 
wise  remarks  : — "  Christians  must  be  instructed  con- 
cerning the  Scriptures,  before  they  are  allowed  to 
read  them.  They  must  be  gradually  prepared  for 
them;  so  that  before  they  do  read  them  they  may 
be  accustomed  to  hear  them,  and  may  be  filled  with 


108  INTERPRETATION 

their  spirit  before  they  see  the  letter.  Those  only 
must  be  permitted  to  read  them  who  are  simple,  do- 
cile, humble ;  who  seek  not  to  satisfy  their  curiosity, 
not  to  dispute,  not  to  decide  or  to  criticise,  but  to 
find  food  for  their  souls.  In  short,  the  Scriptures 
must  only  be  given  to  those  who,  receiving  the  Bible 
from  the  church  alone,  will  not  seek  to  discover  any 
other  meaning  in  it  than  that  of  the  church  itself."* 

Is  not  this,  madam,  just  what  I  have  already  said, 
and  which  I  would  take  the  liberty  of  again  urging 
upon  you,  after  having  given  you  the  proofs  which 
you  required,  and  after  having  quoted  the  authority 
of  a  Christian  so  fervent,  and,  on  the  whole,  so  judi- 
cious as  Fenelon.  It  is  zeal  for  your  salvation  which 
prompts  me  thus  to  entreat  you  to  submit  yourself  to 
the  church,  and  to  wait  till  you  have  received  its  in- 
structions, before  you  indulge  yourself  in  the  reading 
of  the  Bible. 

If,  in  order  to  decide  you  thus  to  act,  you  require 
examples  drawn  from  the  Bible  itself,  I  can  provide 
you  with  one  which  is  in  many  respects  analogous  to 
your  own  case.  Perhaps  you  may  remember  the 
Ethiopian  officer,  whom  Philip,  the  evangelist,  met 

*  Fenelon,  Lettre  sur  l'Ecriture,  art.  xiii.  ami  xiv.  The  coun- 
cil of  Trent  is  more  explicit  than  Fenelon  : — "  As  experience  has 
shown,  that  the  indiscriminate  reading  of  the  Bible  in  the  vulgar 
tongue  is,  on  account  of  the  rashness  of  men,  more  disadvantage- 
ous than  profitable,  it  will  depend  upon  the  bishops  or  the  inqui- 
sitor, who  will  have  an  understanding  on  the  Bubject  with  the  cur.', 
or  the  confessor,  to  permit  tins  reading  to  those  persons  whom 
they  will  judge  able  to  undertake  it  without  danger,  and  who  will 
gain  from  it  an  increase  of  faith  and  piety.  This  permission  will 
be  given  in  writing.  Win. ever,  without  having  received  a  per- 
mission of  this  nature,  will  dure  to  read  or  to  possess  a  Bible, 
cannot  receive  the  absolution  of  his  sins  until  he  bus  returned  the 
Bible  to  his  cure.  Booksellers  who,  without  having  the  said  per- 
mission,  sh  ill  sell  the  Bible,  translated  into  the  vulgar  tongue, 
will  lose  the  price  of  their  books,  which  will  be  set  apart  by  the 
bishops  for  pious  purposes  ;  they  will  also  he  liable  to  other 
penalties,  according  to  the  nature  of  the  delinquency,  and  agree- 
able to  the  judgment  of  the  bishop.  The  priests  themselves  can 
neither  read  nor  buy  a  Bible  without  the  permission  of  their  su- 
periors."— Concil.  Trident.  Regulce  indicis,  Rejj.  iv. 


OF    THE    BIBLB.  109 

while  reading  the  Prophet  Lsaiah.  "  Philip  said, 
Understandest  thou   what   thou  readest?      And   he 

said.  How  can  I,  except  some  man  should  guide  me  ? 
And  lie  desired  Philip  that  he  would  come  up  and  sit 
with  him,"  Acts  viii.  30,  31.  Here  is  a  man  who 
begins,  like  yourself,  madam,  to  turn  to  the  Lord  ; 
whom  no  sacrifice  daunts  in  his  pursuit  of  truth ;  a 
man  who  imagines,  in  the  first  instance,  that  there 
can  be  no  better  means  for  its  discovery  than  the 
reading  of  the  Scriptures  ;  but  a  man  who,  instructed 
by  this  very  reading,  and  warned  by  a  spirit  of  hu- 
mility, soon  acknowledged  that  he  could  not  under- 
stand them,  unless  some  one  explained  them  to  him, 
and  who  seized  the  first  opportunity  of  placing  his 
Bible  in  the  hands  of  a  director.  Philip,  madam, 
may  be  considered  as  the  church ;  and  will  not  you 
be  as  the  Ethiopian  ?  Do  you  think  you  will  be  able 
to  do  what  this  simple  and  pious  man  confessed  that 
he  could  not  ?  and  this  narrative,  the  first  detailed 
account  of  a  conversion  which  is  found  in  the  book 
of  the  Acts  ;  does  it  not  clearly  indicate  the  road  in 
which  God  wills  that  you  should  walk  ? 

Enter  upon  it,  madam,  with  faith,  with  simplicity  of 
heart.  Submit  to  the  guidance  of  the  church.  To  the 
church,  to  the  church  alone,  is  applicable  the  remark 
which  you  so  kindly  address  to  me  at  the  conclusion 
of  your  letter  : — "  How  can  I  fear  to  err  while  I  sub- 
mit to  your  directions  ?" 

P.  S.  I  do  not  think  that  I  contradict,  myself,  when 
I  advise  Mr.  de  Lassalle  to  read  the  Old  Testament. 
His  position  is  very  different  from  yours.  I  had 
judged  this  perusal  necessary  to  convince  him  of  the 
inspiration  of  the  Bible,  and  more  especially  of  the 
fulfilment  of  prophecy.  When  once  convinced  on 
those  points,  should  he  desire  to  penetrate  into  the 
meaning  of  the  Scriptures,  I  would  invite  him  to  rely 
upon  the  judgment  of  the  church,  just  as  I  have  done 
with  respect  to  you. 

10 


110  INTERPRETATION 

LETTER  V. 

LUCILLA    TO    THE    ABBE. 

After  the  letter  you  have  had  the  goodness  to  write 
to  me,  I  no  longer  dare  persist  in  my  desire  to  possess 
a  Bible.  Your  arguments  stumer  me,  and  your 
warnings  alarm  me.  What  am  I,  a  poor  ignorant 
woman,  that  I  should  withstand  the  wisest  teachers, 
and  separate  myself  from  the  universal  church  ?  I 
see  that  I  must  yield,  and  address  myself  to  those 
whom  you  call  my  natural  directors.  Well,  I  will 
obey.  I  have  reached  the  term  of  my  irresolution. 
Why  can  I  not  also  say,  the  term  of  my  difficulties  ? 

I  must  confess  that,  in  this  instance,  I  do  not  feel 
the  same  satisfaction  which  I  experienced  after 
having  heard  your  reasonings  on  the  inspiration  of 
the  Scriptures.  In  the  reasons  which  you  have 
given  me  to-day,  I  do  not  perceive  the  clearness,  the 
simplicity,  the  evidence,  which  I  found  in  your 
former  arguments.  I  was  then  convinced  without' 
reservation,  and  was  happy  to  be  so.  Now  I  feel  as 
one  who  has  no  reply  to  urge,  but  who  would  not  be 
sorry  to  find  an  answer.  The  head  is  convinced, 
but  the  heart  is  not  so  submissive  as  I  could  wish. 

Because,  in  spite  of  myself,  this  idea  is  constantly 
recurring  to  my  mind,  that  I  ought  to  read  the  Bible, 
since  it  is  of  God.  It  is,  as  it  were,  an  instinct 
which  sets  aside  all  arguments,  which  resists  them, 
perhaps  .  .  .  But  no,  I  resist  no  longer.  I  am  de- 
cided to  adopt  the  way  which  you  advise  ;  and  if  it  is 
the  right  one,  as  I  hope,  as  I  believe,  God  will  doubtless 
enable  me  to  find  in  it  that  peace  to  which  I  am  still 
a  stranger.     Be  easy,  I  will  not  purchase  the  Bible. 

The  Bible,  which  first  opened  my  heart !  the 
Bible,  which  you  have  taught  me  to  call  the  book  of 
God !  the  Bible,  which  has  inspired  you  with  an  ad- 


0F    THE    BIBLE.  Ill 

miration  you  know  so  well  how  to  communicate  to 
others  !  I  have  road  the  ,k  Catechism  of  the  Council 
of  Trent/'  and  the  "  Stories  of  Royaumont."  These 
books  are  excellent,  doubtless,  since  you  recommend 
them  ;  but  they  do  not  speak  to  my  heart.  They  are 
not  like  the  Bible.  Do  not  forsake  me,  sir.  Pity 
me.  Pray  for  me.  I  know  not  what  to  think  of  my 
own  thoughts.  I  make  a  very  unworthy  return  for  all 
your  goodness ;  and  I  fear  lest  I  should  weary  your 
patience.  Here  I  will  pause.  I  know  not  whether 
I  shall  decide  to  finish  this  letter,  or  to  burn  it. 

I  have  not  shown  your  letter  to  my  husband.  I 
would  rather  wait  until  my  own  views  are  less  waver- 
ing. Considering  the  state  of  mind  in  which  we  both 
are  at  present,  I  fear  we  should  only  weaken  each 
other. 

The  same  Day,  Evening. 

I  am  more  perplexed  than  ever.  You  will  find  it 
difficult  to  believe  what  I  am  about  to  relate.  Is  it  a 
direction  from  God  ?  Is  it  a  snare  laid  for  my  soul  ? 
You  will  be  better  able  to  judge  of  this  than  I  am. 
Hardly  had  I  laid  down  my  pen  an  hour,  when  we 
received  a  visit  from  Mr.  Mercier.  He  is  an  old 
friend  of  Mr.  de  Lassalle  ;  and  you  may,  some  years 
ago,  have  seen  him  at  our  house.  His  affairs  have 
brought  him  into  this  part  of  the  country  ;  and  he  has 
had  the  kindness  to  come  out  of  his  way  for  the  pur- 
pose of  paying  us  a  visit.'  He  dined  and  spent  the 
evening  at  the  castle.  It  is  ten  o'clock,  and  he  has 
only  just  left  us.  Almost  all  our  conversation  has 
turned  on what  think  you  ?     On  religion  ! 

Mr.  Mercier  was  born  a  Catholic,  and  lived  till  he 
was  upwards  of  forty  years  of  age  in  the  practice  of 
his  religion,  as  well,  or  rather  as  ill,  as  a  great  many- 
others.  But  within  the  last  year  or  two  he  has  be- 
come, I  was  going  to  say,  a  Protestant ;  but,  in  fact, 
I  know  nothing  about  it ;  for  he  has  not  once  pro- 


112  INTERPRETATION 

nounced  that  name.  What  is  very  certain,  is,  that  he 
is  changed,  and  that  in  reading  the  Bible  ;  and  I 
suspect  that  he  has  come  here  on  purpose  to  convert 
us.  I  cannot  blame  him  for  it.  I  have  always 
thought,  that  a  man  who  believes  himself  in  the  right 
way,  fulfils  a  duty  in  seeking  to  lead  others  into  the 
same  path. 

Mr.  Mercier  was  the  first  that  led  the  conversation 
to  this  subject.  My  husband,  though  much  cooled 
since  your  first  letter  on  the  reading  of  the  Bible, 
then  proposed  several  questions,  which  were  sug- 
gested, as  I  easily  perceived,  by  what  he  had  heard 
and  read  from  you.  I  was  very  much  inclined  to  do 
the  same,  in  my  turn,  but  was  restrained  by  the 
thought  of  your  advice.  I  feared  lest  I  should  ex- 
pose myself  to  some  temptation.  I  remained  silent, 
and  Mr.  Mercier  must  have  found  me  extremely 
reserved. 

I  will  not  conceal  from  you,  sir,  the  fact,  that  my 
coldness  was  merely  assumed ;  and  that  I  listened 
with  eagerness  to  the  explanations  which  he  gave 
my  husband.  Will  you  believe  it?  His  views  bear 
a  wonderful  resemblance  to  those  wrhich  I  expressed 
in  my  last  letter  to  you.  Mr.  Mercier  has  passed 
through  the  same  state  of  perplexity  in  which  I  am 
at  present.  He  long  hesitated  whether  he  ought  to 
read  the  Bible.  He  at  length  determined  to  do  so, 
and  blesses  God  that  he  was  led  to  such  a  decision. 
A  new  day,  he  says,  has  arisen  upon  his  soul,  since 
he  ceased  to  allow  man  to  interpose  between  it  and 
God. 

We  gave  him  your  manuscript  to  read.  He  ad- 
mired it  much,  and  said  to  Mr.  de  Lassalle,  when  he 
returned  it,  "  I  have  rarely  seen  the  Divine  inspira- 
tion of  the  Scriptures  at  once  so  clearly  and  so  briefly 
established  ;  the  evidence  affords  almost  mathemati- 
cal certainty.  Nevertheless,"  added  he,  after  a 
moment's  reflection,  "  unless  the  Spirit  of  God  speak 


OF    THE    BIBLE.  113 

to  the  heart  of  a  man,  even  these  proofs  will  not  con- 
vince him.     1  have  experienced  this  myself.     It  is 

one  thing  to  have  the  mouth  closed,  and   another  to 
have  the  heart  opened." 

0  sir,  with  what  warmth,  with  what  eloquence,  he 
Bpeaks  of  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  of  what  he  has  suf- 
fered  for  our  sins,  and  of  what  we  owe  him  in  return  ! 
He  is  so  penetrated  with  this  subject,  that  it  has  made 
him  quite  another  man;  as  serious  as  he  was  formerly 
trifling  ;  swearing  no  more  ;  no  longer  yielding  to  an- 
ger.  Mv  husband  could  not  overcome  his  surprise. 
He  said  to  me,  "  If  Mercier  were  born  a  second 
time,  he  could  not  be  more  different  from  what  he 
was." 

1  flatter  myself,  my  dear  sir,  that  in  this  instance 
you  will  appreciate  my  distrust  of  myself.  But  I  have 
a  project  in  view,  which  I  will  not  put  into  execution 
till  I  have  submitted  it  to  your  approval.  I  should 
like  to  write  to  Mr.  Mercier,  and  ask  him  what  are 
the  reasons  which  have  determined  him  to  read  the 
Bible  for  himself.  I  would  fain  hear  what  he  has  to  say 
on  the  subject.  I  think  that  I  shall  then  be  fully  en- 
lightened. This  will  not  prevent  me  from  yielding  to 
you  in  the  end ;  but  I  shall  do  so  with  a  more  tran- 
quil mind,  after  having  heard  the  contrary  arguments. 
And  then,  as  I  shall  have  them  in  writing,  I  shall  not 
run  the  risk  of  being  taken  by  surprise.  I  can  medi- 
tate on  them  at  leisure.  I  can.  ask  your  opinion  con- 
cerning them.  Pray,  my  dear  sir,  indulge  me  in  this 
fantasy.  Or,  rather,  to  speak  seriously,  do  not  refuse 
me  that  which  is  almost  necessary  to  satisfy  my  con- 
science. Your  opposition  would  cruelly  embarrass 
me  ;  for  you  know  my  deference  to  your  judgment. 
I  shall  expect  your  answer  with  much  impatience. 

10* 


114  INTERPRETATION 

LETTER  VI. 

THE   ABBE    TO   LUCILLA. 

So  then,  madam,  you  are  not  yet  at  the  end  of  your 
questions.  I  had  foreseen  this.  You  find  yourself 
upon  a  declivity,  where  you  will  find  it  difficult  to 
arrest  your  steps.  Oh  that  this  warm  heart,  this  un- 
quiet mind,  would  at  length  seek  repose  in  the  bosom 
of  the  church  '  Oh  that  this  ardor  which  consumes 
you,  were  but  peacefully  spent  in  the  service  of  the 
Lord  ! 

You  perplex  me  in  your  turn.  I  dare  not  direct 
you  in  so  delicate  a  matter,  especially  as  I  have  no 
other  right  or  claim  upon  you  than  that  with  which 
your  confidence  has  invested  me.  I  fear,  I  must  con- 
fess, that  in  writing  to  Mr.  Mercier,  you  will  enter 
upon  a  perilous  path  ;  doubly  perilous  with  the  dis- 
position of  mind  in  which  you  now  are.  But  can  I 
forbid  your  doing  so  ?  Even  were  I  more  assured  of 
vour  docility  than  is  the  case,  ought  I  not  to  fear  lest  . 
I  should  lead  you  to  doubt  my  reasons,  by  preventing 
you  from  hearing  those  of  others  ?  And  again,  per- 
haps it  is  necessary  for  you  to  hear  them,  in  order 
to  discover  their  weakness.  From  my  knowledge 
of  you,  I  am  sure  that  you  will  imagine  them  good 
until  you  have  heard  them.  However  this  may  be, 
I  cannot  encourage,  hut  I  dare  not  restrain  you. 
Consult  your  Cure.  Perhaps  he  will  have  more 
liberty,  or  more  light,  than  I  have. 


LETTER  VII. 

LUCILLA    TO   MR.    MERCIER. 


Sir, — The  day  on  which  we  had  the  pleasure  of 
seeing  you  at  the  castle,  I  heard  you  say,  that  after 


OF    THE    BIBLE.  115 

having  long  believed  thai  every  Layman  ought  to  refer 
to  the  church  forthe  interpretation  of  the  Scriptures, 
you  changed  your  opinion  two  years  ago,  and  that  you 
now  seek  tin-  meaning  of  the  Bible  for  yourself,  with- 
out placing  any  man  between  ( rod  and  you.  This  was 
your  expression,  which  1  well  remember.  Might  I 
take  the  liberty  of  asking  you,  what  are  the  reasons 
which  have  led  you  to  adopt  such  a  determination  ? 
1  shall  be  much  obliged  to  you  if  you  will  kindly 
enlighten  me  on  this  point.  Doubt  not  that  your  re- 
plv.  in  spite  of  certain  appearances,  will  be  to  me  an 
object  of  the  deepest  interest.  I  confide  in  your  dis- 
cretion. 


LETTER  VIII. 

MR.    MERCIER   TO   LUCILLA. 

Madam, — Be  assured  that  you  confer  an  obligation 
upon  me,  when  you  provide  me  with  an  opportunity 
of  explaining  my  faith,  and  of  giving  glory  to  the  word 
of  God  ;  and  if  my  feeble  testimony  can  engage  you 
to  read  that  word  in  your  turn,  I  shall  render  thanks 
to  the  Author  of  every  good  thought.  For  what  the 
Bible  has  done  for  me,  it  will  do  for  you  ;  it  will  do 
for  all  who  receive  it,  "  not  as  the  word  of  men,  but 
as  it  is  in  truth,  the  word  of  God,"  1  Thess.  ii.  13. 
You  wish  to  know  the  reasons  which  have  determined 
me  to  read  the  Bible  in  this  spirit.  In  order  to  satisfy 
you,  I  must  go  back  a  few  years,  and  give  you  a  full 
account  of  the  change* which  God  has  deigned  to 
work  in  my  heart. 

I  was  born  at  the  time  of  the  Revolution,  when 
every  creed  was  rejected.  My  infant  lips  were  never 
taught  to  breathe  a  prayer  ;  in  my  childhood  I  was 
taught  no  other  catechism  than  that  of  Dupuis  and  his 
fellows  ;  and  at  sixteen  I  knew  by  heart  the  ignoble 


116  INTERPRETATION 

witticisms  of  the  "  Philosophical  Dictionary."  In  my 
youth  I  never  received  what  is  called  the  "  first  com- 
munion ;"*  and  till  the  age  of  thirty,  I  was  totally  un- 
connected with  the  Christian  family,  except  by  bap- 
tism. As  to  the  Holy  Scriptures,  like  many  others, 
I  made  a  jest  of  them,  without  having  any  further 
acquaintance  with  them  than  what  I  derived  from  the 
quotations  of  Voltaire. 

Being  at  Strasburg,  in  1827,  I  heard  of  Oberlin, 
the  humble,  but  celebrated  pastor  of  the  Ban  de  la 
Roche.  He  was  mentioned,  not  as  an  eminent  Chris- 
tian, but  as  a  great  philanthropist.  I  went  to  see  him. 
I  found  more  than  I  sought.  I  found  him  not  only 
superior  to  what  I  expected,  but  altogether  different. 
Doubtless,  I  admired  the  genius,  fraught  with  indus- 
try and  beneficence,  by  which  he  had  succeeded  in 
converting  an  almost  savage  district  into  one  which 
hardly  yields  to  any  other  department  in  France,  for 
true  civilization.  I  could  not,  without  emotion,  see 
this  good  pastor,  who,  while  still  fulfilling  all  the  du- 
ties of  his  holy  calling,  had  erected  factories,  found 
means  of  exporting  their  produce,  laid  down  roads," 
constructed  bridges,  renewed  the  face  of  the  soil,  in- 
troduced the  culture  of  the  potato  ;  laboring  himself 
when  necessary,  with  pickaxe  or  spade  in  hand,  q| 
the  head  of  his  parishioners,  whom  he  called  his 
children.  But  what  especially  attracted  my  attention 
was  the  principle  of  all  this.  The  heart  of  Oberlin 
interested  me  even  more  than  his  labors,  and  I  al- 
most forgot  the  philanthropist  in  thinking  of  the  man 
of  God.  He  did  good  wTith  so  much  simplicity,  so 
much  forgetfulness  of  self,  and  so  much  happiness, 
that  it  was  easy  to  see  he  did  it  for  God,  as  much,  at 
least,  as  he  did  it  for  man.  I  then,  for  the  first  time, 
understood  Christian  piety,  by  beholding  it  in  prac- 
tice. This  spectacle  made  a  deep,  an  indelible  im- 
pression upon  me  ;  and  I  said  to  myself,  "  The  re- 
*  Equivalent  to  English  confirmation. 


OF    THE    BIRLE.  117 

ligion  which  has  produced  such  a  man  deserves  ex- 
amination :  the  belief  \\  Inch  renders  him  so  contented 
in  the  midst  of  privations,  and  i'ar  from  the  world,  is 
a  thing  to  be  considered."  You  see,  madam,  God 
employs  more  than  one  means  of  bringing  souls  to 
himself.  A  worthy  priest  convinced  you  of  the  in- 
spiration of  the  Bible,  by  arguments  as  solid  as  they 
are  eloquent.  The  good  Oberlin  taught  me  the  truth 
of  the  Christian  faith  by  the  Christian  life.  Argument 
came  after. 

At  parting,  Oberlin  gave  me  a  New  Testament.  I 
received  it  as  a  book  which  would  explain  the  char- 
acter of  Oberlin,  and  read  it  in  the  course  of  a  few 
days.  I  found  many  things  in  it  which  appeared  to 
me  absurd  ;  with  others,  the  greater  number,  which 
I  thought  admirable.  Being  wounded  in  the  face  a 
short  time  after,  during  a  military  exercise,  and  almost 
deprived  of  sight  for  several  weeks,  I  could  not  study 
my  book ;  but  I  had  retained  a  few  passages,  which 
at  times  consoled  me.  I  said  to  myself,  "  Perhaps 
this  really  is  the  word  of  God." — "  The  word  of 
God !"  this  thought  sent  a  thrill  through  my  very 
being.  Even  during  the  time  of  my  infidelity  I  had 
my  better  moments,  like  every  one  else.  I  then 
wished  to  know  what  was  true,  and  to  do  what  was 
right.  But,  the  truth,  the  right, — how  was  T  to  dis- 
cover them  ?  Where  could  I  find  a  positive  rule,  a 
perfect  model  ?  Everything  that  proceeds  from  man 
may  be  controlled  by  another  man.  But  if  there  were 
a  word  of  God,  what  a  difference !  We  should  then 
have  a  solid,  an  immoveable  foundation.  This  ap- 
peared so  glorious,  that  I  dared  not  believe  it. 

A  friend  came  to  my  help  ;  he  was  a  pious  priest, 
who,  in  many  respects,  resembled  the  one  whose 
conversations  on  the  inspiration  of  the  Scriptures  Mr. 
de  Lassalle  showed  me  the  other  day.  Thanks  be 
to  God,  we  have  more  priests  of  this  stamp  in  France 
than  is  generally  imagined.  He,  seeing  my  doubts, 
7 


118  INTERPRETATION 

advised  me  to  read  the  New  Testament,  and,  at  the 
same  time,  to  ask  of  God  to  enlighten  me.  "  It  was 
thus,"  added  he,  "  that  I  myself  became  a  Christian." 
I  did  as  he  recommended  ;  and  I  soon  remarked  these 
words  of  Jesus  Christ:  "  If  ye  then,  being  evil,  know 
how  to  give  good  gifts  unto  your  children  :  how  much 
more  shall  your  heavenly  Father  give  the  Holy  Spirit 
to  them  that  ask  him?"  Luke  xi.  13.  This  encour- 
aged me  to  pray  for  the  Holy  Spirit.  I  then  began 
to  feel  my  sinfulness,  and  my  need  of  a  Saviour  ;  and 
then  to  recognise  in  Christ  the  spotless  sacrifice  who 
offered  himself  to  God  for  us.  As  yet,  however,  my 
views  were  very  confused.  But  I  was  surprised  to 
find  nothing  in  the  New  Testament  on  the  worship 
of  the  saints,  and  of  the  Virgin,  nor  on  auricular  con- 
fession, nor  on  the  mass,  nor  on  many  things  which 
I  had  been  taught  to  regard  as  essential  to  Christi- 
anity. I  soon  had  an  opportunity  of  again  seeing  my 
friend  the  priest,  and  of  opening  my  mind  to  him. 
He  was  evidently  alarmed  at  his  own  work,  and  en- 
deavored to  rectify  it.  I  do  not  blame  him  ;  that  he 
was  sincere,  and  desired  my  good,  I  cannot  doubt. 
He  believed  the  gospel,  but  he  also  believed  the 
church  ;  and  when  he  saw  that  the  one  did  not  lead 
me  to  the  other,  he  thought  it  his  duty  to  restrain  me. 
However  this  may  be,  he  urged  me  to  consult  a  di- 
rector, both  in  the  choice  of  what  I  read,  and  in  regard 
of  its  interpretation. 

I  felt  this  to  be  a  sacrifice  ;  but,  at  this  period,  I 
had  too  much  conviction,  and  too  little  light,  to  resist 
a  man  whom  I  had  learned  to  consider  as  a  model  of 
piety.  Had  Oberlin  been  alive,  I  should  perhaps 
have  had  recourse  to  him,  Protestant  as  he  was  ;  but 
he  had  died  a  year  before  ;  so  I  placed  myself  in  the 
hands  of  the  church.  From  that  time,  everything 
changed.  As  I  could  only  read  the  New  Testament 
to  find  a  doctrine  previously  determined,  I  found  it 
shorter  to  study  this  doctrine  in  the  catechism,  and 


OF    THE    BIBLE.  119 

in  the  books  of  devotion  which  were  recommended 
me.  As  my  heart  grew  cold  towards  the  gospel,  I 
soon  felt  that  my  religious  impressions  grew  cold 
also.  The  Holy  Spirit  no  longer  occupied  any  place 
in  my  thoughts.  I  imagined  that  my  spiritual  con- 
ductors possessed  it  for  me.  In  a  short  time,  I  had 
nothing  left  but  a  borrowed  Christianity,  which  satis- 
fied my  director  without  satisfying  me,  and  which,  in 
all  probability,  would  have  ended  by  my  relapsing 
into  infidelity,  if  God  had  not  interposed,  and  with- 
drawn me  from  the  freezing  hands  of  man.  As  to 
the  priest  of  whom  I  have  spoken,  we  wrere  then  far 
distant  from  each  other  ;  and  he  had  done  me  so  much 
good,  and  so  much  harm,  that  1  knew  not  how  to  write 
to  him. 

I  was  in  this  state,  madam,  wrhen,  about  two  years 
ago,  I  met  a  friend  of  Oberlin,  whom  I  had  seen  at 
his  house,  in  the  Ban  de  la  Roche.  We  spoke  of 
the  good  pastor.  I  saw  tears  in  the  eyes  of  Mr. 
Z  *  *  *.  I  was  deeply  affected  ;  my  old  impressions 
revived  ;  I  remembered  the  New  Testament  of  Ober- 
lin. In  short,  I  related  to  Mr.  Z  *  *  *  all  that  had 
occurred.  It  seemed  to  me,  in  some  respects,  as  if 
I  were  consulting  Oberlin  himself.  I  was  not  mis- 
taken ;  this  simple-minded,  but  sensible  and  pious 
man,  showed  me  the  error  in  which  I  had  been  in- 
volved ;  and,  by  clear  and  solid  arguments,  drawn 
mostly  from  the  Bible  itself,  he  convinced  me  that  I 
ought  to  seek  God,  without  allowing  any  man  to  in- 
terpose between  Him  and  me.  He  succeeded  so 
much  the  more  easily,  as  he  had  my  own  experience 
in  his  favor  ;  and  I  resumed  the  reading  of  the  New 
Testament,  to  which  I  soon  added  that  of  the  Old. 
God,  to  whom  I  again  addressed  my  supplications, 
opened  my  heart  to  his  word,  and  enabled  me  to  find 
what  St.  Paul  so  fitly  calls  "  grace  and  peace." 

There  is  in  the  Bible  a  word  which  seems  to  have 
been  used  with  a  special  reference  to  my  benefit.    It 


120  INTERPRETATION 

is  that  of  Rock.  This  name  is  often  given  to  Jesus 
Christ,  to  signify  the  immutable  firmness  of  his  doc- 
trines and  of  his  promises.  A  rock  in  the  midst  of 
the  quicksand  of  human  opinions  :  this  was,  indeed, 
just  what  I  required.  And  even  now,  my  heart  thrills 
whenever  I  meet  with  this  term  ;  so  that  I  often 
exclaim,  "  I  will  look  unto  the  Rock  that  is  higher 
than  I." 

The  reasons  which  determined  me,  madam,  and 
which  you  desire  to  know,  are  those  which  Mr. 
Z  *  *  *  gave  me.  I  am  quite  ready  to  explain  them 
to  you.  But  will  you  allow  me  to  make  an  inquiry  ? 
Your  letter  leads  me  to  presume  that  you  have  some 
scruples  as  to  the  reading  of  the  Bible.  If  such  be 
the  case,  they  have  doubtless  been  suggested  to  you, 
as  they  had  been  to  me  ;  for  they  are  far  from  being 
natural.  Can  you  tell  me  the  origin  of  these  scru- 
ples ?  I  should  then  be  better  able  to  suit  my  expla- 
nations to  your  state  of  mind  ;  as  my  friend  of  the 
Ban  de  la  Roche  did  for  me.  However,  if  you  con- 
sider my  question  indiscreet,  do  not  reply.  I  will 
wait  twelve  days — then,  if  I  do  not  hear  from  you, 
I  will  write  again,  under  the  supposition  that  you 
experience  the  same  difficulties  which  for  some  time 
arrested  me. 


LETTER  IX. 

LUCILLA   TO   MR.    MERCIER. 

I  am  about  to  give  you  a  great  proof  of  confidence. 
But  how  can  I  doubt  the  discretion  of  one  who  writes 
as  you  do  ?  It  is  true,  that  some  one  has  given  me 
scruples  as  to  the  reading  of  the  Bible.  It  is  the 
same  priest  who  proved  to  me  its  Divine  origin,  a 
true  minister  of  God,  an  eminently  good  man.     You 


OF    THE    BIBLE.  121 

will  find  enclosed  n  copy  of  two  letters  which  he  has 
written  to  me  on  the  subject.  I  shall  expect  vour 
Becond  Letter  with  impatience.  Yon  know  not  how 
much  the  first  has  interested  me. 


LETTER  X. 

MR.    MERCIER    TO   LUCILLA. 

"There  is  nothing  new  under  the  sun."  I  have 
just  read  the  letters  which  you  have  so  kindly  shown 
me.  They  are  a  sacred  deposite,  of  which  you  may 
be  assured  I  shall  not  make  an  unworthy  use.  The 
reasons  which  are  given  by  your  respectable  friend 
for  not  allowing  the  reading  of  the  Bible  to  laymen, 
are  almost  word  for  word  the  same  as  those  which 
were  alleged  to  me.  I  now  see  that  even  if  you  had 
not  intrusted  me  with  the  secret  of  your  scruples,  1 
should  have  been  nearly  sure  to  hit  the  mark,  by  as- 
cribing to  you  all  those  which  were  formerly  mine. 

I  am  not  sorry,  however,  to  have  the  letters  of  the 
Abbe  Favien  before  me,  and  especially  his  second. 
1  shall  follow  it  from  point  to  point  ;  and  the  perfect 
order  with  which  he  has  explained  his  views,  will 
enable  me  to  put  a  little  into  what  I  shall  say  in  re- 
ply. I  really  feel  a  sort  of  shame  in  thus  combating 
the  arguments  of  one  who  is,  in  so  many  respects, 
my  superior  :  but  you  have  consulted  me,  madam ; 
and  it  is  my  duty  to  declare  the  truth.  Remember, 
it  is  not  a  theologian  who  addresses  you.  It  is  a 
retired  artillery  officer,  who  has  nothing  wherewith 
to  supply  the  advantages  of  which  he  is  destitute,  but 
the  desire  to  convince.  This  desire,  at  least,  is  sin- 
cere, and  profound.  I  can  say  with  the  psalmist,  "  I 
believed,  therefore  have  I  spoken,"  Ps.  cxvi.  10. 

How  I  love  this  good  old  Abbe  !     Do  not  imagine 

11 


122  INTERPRETATION 

that  his  letters  destroy  the  favorable  opinion  which 
his  conversations  on  inspiration  had  led  me  to  form 
of  him.  Doubtless,  I  believe  him  to  be  in  error  ;  but 
in  this  error  he  shows  so  much  sincerity,  and  so 
much  zeal  for  your  salvation,  that  I  esteem  him  even 
when  he  defends  it.  It  is  easy  to  see,  that  this  same 
man,  who  so  much  fears  your  reading  the  Bible,  has 
himself  read  it,  and  read  it  with  profit.  Marvellous 
contradiction  of  the  human  mind  !  Wonderful  power 
of  habit  and  of  prejudice  ! 

Nevertheless,  madam,  we  cannot  but  perceive  a 
striking  difference,  in  point  of  solidity,  between  the 
arguments  contained  in  these  letters,  and  in  those  of 
the  conversations.  The  advocate  is  still  the  same, 
but  the  cause  is  altered.  The  terms  are  ill-defined. 
The  words  "church,"  "tradition,"  etc.  are  far  from 
affording  a  clear  and  precise  meaning.  Neither  is  it 
easy  to  perceive  the  exact  bearing  upon  the  question 
of  the  passages  from  the  fathers,  and  from  the  Scrip- 
tures, which  are  adduced  in  testimony.  In  short,  a 
sort  of  chiaroscuro  pervades  the  arguments  of  the 
Abbe.  One  feels,  after  having  read  them,  more- 
dazzled  than  enlightened,  and  more  embarrassed  than 
convinced.  And  yet,  they  should  have  very  clear, 
very  strong  reasons,  who  consider  that  they  have  a 
right  to  say  to  others,  "  Do  not  read  the  word  of  God 
yourselves ;  we  alone  can  understand  it,  and  explain 
it  to  you."  Another  thing  struck  me  ;  it  is,  that  the 
author  of  the  Letter  frequently  contradicts  the  author 
of  the  conversations  ;  and  that  several  of  the  fruitful 
and  luminous  principles,  which  directed  Mr.  Favien 
in  his  first  discussion,  are  wanting  in  the  second.  I 
shall  cite  you  more  than  one  example  of  this  in  the 
course  of  my  reply. 

These  remarks  are  applicable  from  the  very  first, 
to  the  terms  in  which  the  Abbe  has  put  the  question. 
There  are,  says  he,  two  ways  of  interpreting  the 
Bible  :  one  is,  to  confide  in  your  own  private  judg- 


OF    THE    BIBLE.  123 

ment ;  the  other,  to  Bubmil  to  that  of  the  church. 
This  would  all  be  very  well  it'  the  Abbe  had  to  deal 
with  Rationalists.  It  is  thus  that  L  denominate  those 
self-styled  Christians  who  would  Bubject  the  teach- 
ings of  the  Bible  to  their  own  reason.  The  Abbe 
may  well  condemn  their  principles  ;  and  I  condemn 
them  also.  But  we  who  submit  to  the  Bible  as  to 
the  word  of  God,  have  nothing  in  common  with  such 
men.  We  place  not  our  confidence  in  the  dictates 
of  our  own  spirit,  but  in  the  Spirit  of  God.  We  do 
not  say  that  each  believer  ought  to  rely  on  his  own 
private  opinion;  hut  we  say  that  he  ought  to  read  the 
Bible,  at  the  same  time  praying  to  God  to  enable  him 
to  understand  it.  Surely,  this  is  very  different.  Let 
us  not  seek  to  throw  discredit  on  one  another's  state- 
ments, by  placing  them  in  a  false  point  of  view.  The 
Abbe,  I  am  persuaded,  has  only  confidence  in  the 
pope  and  his  councils,  because  he  thinks  that  God 
has  promised  to  guide  them  by  his  Spirit :  and  we, 
in  our  turn,  only  trust  in  our  private  judgment,  be- 
cause we  think  that  God  has  promised  to  guide  us  by 
the  same  Spirit.  In  reality,  we  both  put  our  trust 
and  confidence  in  the  grace  of  the  Holy  Spirit ;  but 
the  point  on  which  we  separate  is  this :  according  to 
the  Abbe,  the  Holy  Spirit  only  speaks  indirectly  to 
each  believer,  through  the  organ  of  the  church :  ac- 
cording to  us,  the  Holy  Spirit  speaks  directly  to  every 
believer,  and  without  the  intervention  which  he  sup- 
poses. It  is  on  this  account  that  every  believer,  ac- 
cording to  the  Abbe,  ought,  to  leave  to  the  church 
alone  the  charge  of  interpreting  the  Bible  ;  and  that, 
according  to  us,  he  ought  to  read  it  for  himself,  with 
prayer  for  the  light  of  God's  Spirit. 

The  question  being  thus  put,  let  us  consider  the 
proofs  which  the  Abbe  gives  in  support  of  his  opinion. 

He  begins  by  a  preliminary  remark,  the  professed 
object  of  which  is  to  simplify  his  task.  Pie  says, 
that  it  will  be  sufficient  for  him  to  prove  the  existence 


124  INTERPRETATION 

of  an  infallible  church  in  general ;  seeing  that  this 
church,  if  it  exist,  can  be  ao  other  than  the  Catholic. 
In  this  method  he  thinks  that  he  can  establish  the  in- 
fallibility of  the  Roman  Catholic  church,  by  argu- 
ments in  w  Inch  it  does  not  expressly  figure.  I  can 
easily  understand  that  this  way  of  reasoning  simpli- 
fies the  Abbe's  task  ;  and  this  simplification  is  usually 
adopted  in  the  present  day  by  writers  who  support 
the  same  doctrine.  Perhaps  they  hope,  by  generaliz- 
ing their  theory,  to  escape  the  overwhelming  difficul- 
ties which  are  so  often  urged  against  the  church  of 
Rome,  the  pretensions  of  Rome,  the  bishops  of  Rome. 
One  would  think  that  the  Abbe  was  afraid  of  this 
word.  He  seems,  like  a  true  Gallican,  to  affect  its 
avoidance  as  some  ultra-montane  authors  affect  its 
perpetual  use.  But  I  cannot  conceive  that  he  should 
ever  be  able,  by  this  means,  to  afford  any  solid  proof. 
The  point  of  application,  which  they  affect  to  disdain, 
in  order  to  fix  their  attention  on  the  principle  alone, 
is,  in  this  case,  the  capital  point.  What  you  want, 
is  to  know  whether  you  ought  to  receive,  as  infallible, 
some  determinate  authority,  to  which  you  are  direct- 
ed to  apply  for  the  interpretation  of  the  Scriptures  ; 
and  not  whether  there  exists  somewhere  upon  earth  an 
infallible  authority.  What  purpose  would  it  answer, 
madam,  for  you  to  know  that  somewhere  in  the  world 
there  is  a  Saviour,  if  you  are  not  also  taught  that  this 
Saviour  is  Jesus  Christ  ?  The  general  proposition, 
they  tell  you,  implies  the  particular.  It  is  rather  the 
particular  proposition  which  implies  the  general. 
Should  they  demonstrate  the  infallibility  of  the  Roman 
Catholic  church,  that  would  doubtless  suppose  the  ex- 
istence of  an  infallible  church  on  earth  ;  but  does  the 
existence  of  an  infallible  church  ncessarily  prove  the 
infallibility  of  the  Catholic  ?  Not  in  the  least.  And 
by  what  means  can  they  prove  the  general  proposi- 
tion, when  it  is  isolated  from  all  application  ?  They 
can  never  prove  it.     I  mistake  ;  it  is,  on  the  contrary. 


OF    THE    BIRLK.  125 

the  only  means  by  which  it  might  be  proved.  It 
must  be  bo  estranged  from  practice  and  reality,  it 
must  be  rendered  bo  vague,  that  proofs  may  be  given 
in  its  favor,  it"  not  convincing,  at  least  difficult  to  re- 
fute, because  difficult  to  be  apprehended.  Thus  they 
gain  two  objects  at  once.  They  get  rid  of  the  par- 
ticular proposition,  which  cannot  be  demonstrated, 
by  uniting  it  to  the  general  question.  And  they  render 
the  general  proposition  demonstrable,  by  dint  of  ab- 
Btraction,  separating  it  from  the  particular  question.  All 
this,  madam,  inspires  me  with  extreme  distrust. 
So  tortuous  and  crooked  a  path  was  never  that  of 
the  truth. 

In  speaking  thus,  I  have  no  intention  of  taxing  the 
worthy  Abbe  with  want  of  uprightness.  If  his  rea- 
soning is  subtle,  it  is  less  his  fault,  than  that  of  his 
cause,  which  cannot  bear  more  solid  argumentation. 
Probably,  he  does  not  perceive  the  too  great  adroit- 
ness of  his  manner,  because  prejudice  and  long  custom 
have  warped  his  noble  character,  and  led  him  to  the 
use  of  means  unworthy  of  him.  I  make  this  remark 
once  for  all.  I  must  be  allowed  to  express  myself 
freely  concerning  the  arguments  of  the  Abbe  :  and 
truth  will  constrain  me,  more  than  once,  to  be  severe 
in  my  judgment ;  but  in  doing  this,  I  consider  his 
personal  character  to  be  altogether  out  of  the  question. 

However  this  may  be,  I  deny  that  he  has  succeeded 
in  proving  the  general  proposition,  in  which  he  has 
prudently  taken  refuge.  He  gives  what  he  calls 
three  proofs  in  its  favor.  They  ought,  he  says,  to  com- 
plete each  other  ;  so  that  what  is  wanting  in  one  will 
be  found  in  the  rest.  I  do  not  see  that,  madam.  I 
say,  with  the  author  of  the  conversations  : — "  It  is 
better  to  have  one  good  string  to  your  bow  than  two 
bad  ones."  And  as  he  has  separately  discussed 
Rousseau's  three  explanations  of  prophecy,  I  also  will 
examine,  one  by  one,  the  considerations  by  which  the 
11* 


126  INTERPRETATION 

Abbe  thinks  he  can  establish  the  existence  of  an  in- 
fallible church. 

FIRST  PROOF. 

argument:  reason. 

On  this  point  I  shall  confine  myself  to  a  few  words. 
This  proof  is  rather  to  be  set  aside  than  refuted. 

The  Abbe  infers  from  the  insufficiency  of  private 
judgment  in  the  interpretation  of  the  Scriptures,  the 
necessity  of  an  infallible  tribunal.  I  could  reply, 
that  this  argument  only  concerns  Rationalists.  Be- 
cause the  human  mind  is  insufficient,  when  left  to  it- 
self, does  it  follow  that  it  is  so  still,  when  led  by  the 
Spirit  of  God  ?     For  this,  I  repeat,  is  our  belief. 

But  should  the  argument  be  even  brought  to  bear, 
it  is  utterly  powerless.  All  this  is  only  pure  conjec- 
ture. They  go  back  to  the  birth  of  Christianity ; 
they  seek  the  means  by  which  God  has  ensured  its 
spread  and  protection  ;  and  they  say  they  dare  to  af- 
firm, "  This  is  what  he  ought  to  have  done.  He  could 
not  possibly  have  done  otherwise."  But  what  are 
we,  that  we  should  prescribe  to  God  the  way  which 
he  ought  to  take  ?  Can  we  not  then  be  mistaken  in 
our  suppositions  ?  And  what  authority  will  the  doc- 
trine of  an  infallible  church  possess,  if  it  rests  only 
on  our  fallible  reason  ? 

The  Abbe  could  make  this  very  remark  to  Mr.  de 
Lassalle,  when  combating  his  arguments  against  the 
Divine  origin  of  the  Scriptures.  It  seemed  impossi- 
ble to  Mr.  de  Lassalle  that  God  should  have  revealed 
himself  to  man,  or  that  he  should  have  done  it  in  this 
manner.  But  the  Abbe  shows  him  that,  ignorant  as 
we  are  of  the  designs  of  God,  we  ought  not  to  inquire 
what  he  ought  to  have  done,  but  what  he  has  done. 
This  is  what  I  say  in  my  turn,  madam,  on  the  ques- 
tion which  now  occupies  us.     The  point  is,  whether 


OF    THE    BIBLE.  127 

the  Spirit  of  God  prefers  to  speak  directly  to  each 
believer,  or  to  speak  to  him  indirectly,  by  the  church. 
Now,  I  maintain,  that  no  man  has  a  right  to  decide 
this  question,  by  the  authority  of  his  own  reason; 
and  that,  instead  of  seeking  what  God  ought  to  do, 
it  is  more  humble,  and  more  certain,  to  seek  what 
God  has  done  ;  in  other  words,  to  consult  the  Scrip- 
tures. 

The  famous  comparison  of  the  code  proves  nothing. 
We  may  well  say,  in  this  instance,  comparison  is  not 
reason.  In  fact,  two  things  are  here  compared,  which 
are  totally  dissimilar — the  judgment  of  God,  and 
that  of  man.  Doubtless,  when  there  is  question  of 
the  judgment  of  men,  a  visible  tribunal  is  requisite, 
because  the  judgment  of  men  is  exercised  on  visible 
objects,  and  refers  to  the  actual  state  of  things.  But 
it  does  not  thence  follow,  that  there  must  be  a  visible 
tribunal  for  the  judgment  of  God,  which  is  exercised 
over  the  heart,  and  the  consequences  of  which  are 
eternal,  and  invisible  to  eyes  of  flesh. 

Acknowledge  then,  madam,  that  the  first  proof 
which  the  Abbe  gives  you  does  not,  cannot,  demon- 
strate his  theory.  But  then,  how  is  it  that  this  proof 
is  precisely  that  in  which  the  defenders  of  an  infalli- 
ble tribunal  seem  to  take  the  most  delight  ?  I  was 
one  day  present  at  a  conference,  which  took  place 
between  a  priest  and  a  minister,  in  the  presence  of 
several  witnesses,  at  the  request  of  the  Marquis  of — . 
It  had  been  agreed,  that  each  of  the  speakers  should 
bring  with  him  a  second,  to  support  him  in  case  of 
need.  But  the  discussion  having  turned  on  the  Holy 
Scriptures,  the  priest's  second  expressed  himself  to 
this  effect : — "  I  find  myself  obliged  to  withdraw  from 
the  dispute.  I  am  not  a  believer.  I  only  came  to 
support  the  Abbe  D — ,  from  purely  philosophical  con- 
siderations ;  but  as  you  appeal  to  the  Scriptures,  and 
to  faith,  the  only  argument  that  I  could  use  would  be 
out  of  place  ;  and  therefore  I  must  be  silent."    What 


128  INTERPRETATION 

say  you  to  this,  madam  ?  A  priest  calls  to  his  aid  a 
friend,  who  is  an  unbeliever,  and  who  only  defends 
ihe  church  on  philosophical  grounds  !  Does  not  this 
fact  give  you  a  true  estimate  of  the  price  which  they 
attach  to  this  kind  of  argument  ?  and  is  it  not  worthy 
of  remark,  that  a  church  which  calls  upon  the  faithful 
to  disregard  all  reasoning,  in  order  to  submit  to  itself, 
makes  an  abuse  of  reasoning  to  establish  its  authority  ; 
thus  uniting  the  abdication  of  reason  in  others  with 
its  exaltation  for  the  church  itself  ? 

I  go  to  the  second  proof.  Permit  me  to  reverse 
the  order  followed  by  the  Abbe,  and  to  begin  with 
tradition.  He  has  reserved  this  article  for  the  last, 
doubtless  because  he  thought  it  the  one  most  calculated 
to  persuade  you.  But  1  have  a  similar  reason  for 
ending  by  the  Scriptural  proof,  which  is,  in  my  opin- 
ion, both  the  most  important,  and  the  most  decisive. 
It  is  not  the  less  my  intention  to  treat  the  question 
of  tradition  with  every  necessary  development.  This 
will  be  the  object  of  my  next  letter. 


LETTER  XL 

MR.  MERCIER  TO  LUCILLA. 

Is  it  true,  madam,  that  the  primitive  church  believed 
in  the  existence  of  an  infallible  tribunal,  to  which  the 
faithful  ought  to  submit,  without  reserve,  for  the  in- 
terpretation of  the  Scriptures  ?  The  Abbe  seeks  to 
prove  this  by  quotations  from  the  fathers.  Let  us  see 
whether  he  has  succeeded. 

SECOND  PROOF. 

TRADITION. 

Should  all  the  testimonies  which  are  adduced  by 
the  Abbe  Favien  be  as  conclusive  as  he  imagines — 


0E    THE    RIBLE.  129 

should  it  be  certain  thai  the  Christians  of  the  first 
centuries,  and  the  fathers  themselves, believed  in  the 
existence  of  an  infallible  tribunal — this  would  not  suf- 
fice for  its  demonstration,  if  it  could  not  be  established 

bv  Scripture.  For  the  Scriptures  alone  can  be  the 
rule  of  our  belief,  in  matters  of  doctrine.  The  Chris- 
tians of  the  first  centuries,  the  fathers  themselves,  may 
have  been  mistaken.  You  must  not  be  offended  at 
this  supposition  ;  it  would  be  easy  to  justify  it  by 
facts.  I  could  show  you  that  in  passing  from  the 
New  Testament  to  the  writings  of  the  fathers,  the  de- 
scent from  Divine  infallibility  to  human  fallibility  is 
not  only  very  perceptible,  but  also  that  the  fathers 
have  fallen  into  positive  errors  ;  and  that  they  are  not 
always  agreed,  either  with  each  other,  or  with  them- 
selves. But  on  this  point  I  will  confine  myself  to  a 
shorter  course,  which  I  have  learned  from  the  Abbe. 
"  A  church  which  is  infallible,"  says  he,  "  must  ap- 
parently be  aware  of  the  fact."  I  say,  in  my  turn,  if  the 
fathers  were  infallible,  they  would  undoubtedly  have 
known  it.  Now,  they  expressly  declare  the  contrary, 
and  make  this  difference  between  their  books  and  the 
canonical  Scriptures,  that  the  latter  alone  ought  to  be 
believed  without  reservation,  and  that  the  former 
ought  not. 

Hear  St.  Augustine  : — "  Prove  by  any  one  of  the 
canonical  books  of  the  apostles  or  prophets  the  truth 
of  what  Cyprian  has  written  to  Jubaianus,  and  I 
shall  no  longer  have  any  grounds  for  opposing  it. 
But  what  you  advance  not  being  canonical,  I  use 
the  liberty  to  which  the  Lord  has  called  us  ;  and 
whatever  may  be  my  estimation  of  a  man,  whose 
merits  I  can  never  equal,  whose  numerous  writings 
are  far  superior  to  mine,  whose  genius  charms  me, 
whose  eloquence  enraptures  me,  whose  charity  fills 
me  with  admiration,  and  his  martyrdom  with  respect; 
I  cannot  submit  to  his  decision."*     Hear  again  this 

*  Contra  Cresc.  Gramm.,  lib.  li.  cap.  32.   Oper.  vol.  vii.  p.  610. 


130  INTERPRETATION 

fine  passage  from  St.  Cyril  of  Jerusalem  : — "When 
we  have  to  deal  with  the  Divine  and  holy  mysteries 
of  our  faith,  we  must  neither  advance  anything  with- 
out the  authority  of  the  Divine  writings,  nor  allow 
ourselves  to  be  carried  away  by  the  charms  of  lan- 
guage, or  the  display  of  argument.  Neither  must 
you  believe  what  I  tell  yon  on  my  own  authority, 
without  being  sure  that  my  instructions  are  demon- 
strated by  the  Divine  writings  :  for  the  security  of 
our  faith  depends  not  on  artifices  of  languages,  but 
on  the  testimony  of  the  Divine  writings/'*  And, 
lastly,  hear.  St.  Athanasius  : — "  Here,"  said  he, 
speaking  of  the  canonical  books,  "here  is  the  source 
of  salvation  ;  let  him  that  is  athirst  drink  of  their 
Divine  oracles.  It  is  by  these  alone  that  we  can  learn 
the  evangelical  discipline  of  piety.  Let  no  one  add 
anything  thereto  ;  let  no  one  take  anything  away."t 

This  is  enough,  madam,  to  show  that  the  authority 
of  the  fathers  is  not  sufficient  of  itself  alone  to  decide 
a  point  of  doctrine,  and  especially  so  capital  a  point 
as  that  which  now  occupies  us.  It  is  insufficient,  ac- 
cording to  the  fathers  themselves  ;  and  one  must  in- 
deed have  a  great  zeal  for  them  to  grant  them  more 
credit  than  they  are  willing  to  accept,  and  to  respect 
them  so  far  as  to  disobey  them.  So  that  what  I  said 
a  short  time  ago,  concerning  reason,  I  now  say  con- 
cerning tradition.  It  is  fallible,  according  to  its  own 
avowal,  and  a  fallible  testimony  cannot  prove  an  in- 
fallible authority. 

But  here  the  Abbe  brings  forward  a  specious  re- 
flection, which  he  deems  decisive.  "  Whoever  re- 
See  also  what  the  same  father  wrote  on  this  subject  to  St. 
Jerome.  (Ep.  ad  Hier.,  torn,  ii.,  quoted  by  Pictet,  Thenlogie 
Chret.,  p.  130  :)  "  For  the  books  contained  in'the  Scriptures  alone, 
called  also  canonical,  have  I  learned  to  feel  thai  respect  which 
leads  me  very  firmly  to  believe  that  no  one  of  their  authors  has 
committed  any  error  in  writing  them." 

*  Cathech.  iv.  p.  30. 

f  Epist.  Fest.  xxxix.  Oper.  vol.  ii.  p.  45. 


OF    THE     BIBLE.  131 

fuses  the  testimony  of  tradition  on  one  point,"  says 

he,  "cannot  consistently  admit  it  on  another.  If 
vou  think  thai  it  cannot  prove  an  infallible  church, 
von  ought  also  to  Bay,  that  it  cannot  prove  the 
Divine  origin  of  the  Scriptures  ;  and  then  what  be- 
comes of  our  faith  ?"  The  Abbe  here  falls  into  an 
error  which  he  had  so  well  refuted  when  answering 
your  husband's  objections  to  Christianity.  Mr.  de 
Lassalle  said,  "  If  reason  is  not  capable  of  judging 
doctrines,  neither  is  it  capable  of  verifying  powers." 
The  Abbe  replied  to  this  by  a  very  simple  distinc- 
tion. "  This  judgment  and  this  verification  being 
two  very  different  things,  reason  may  indeed  be  in- 
competent for  the  one,  though  it  may  be  competent 
for  the  other."  I  will  say  as  much  for  tradition. 
Tradition,  which  is  a  testimony  of  men,  is  not  com- 
petent to  decide  a  question  of  doctrine,  such  as  the 
existence  of  an  infallible  church  ;  but  it  is  competent 
to  authenticate  a  fact,  such  as  the  genuineness  of  the 
Scriptures,  or  the  truth  of  miracles.  I  know  that 
the  Abbe  invokes,  in  support  of  his  assertion,  an  ar- 
gument of  St.  Augustine  ;  but  even  should  the  mean- 
ing of  this  eminent  father  be  the  same  as  that  of  Mr. 
Favien,*  the  reasoning  of  St.  Augustine  can  prove 
nothing-  against  reason.  It  remains  certain,  that  to 
judge  doctrines,  and  to  verify  powers,  are  things  so 
different,  that  no  conclusion  can  be  drawn  from  one 
to  the  other. 

Yet  it  is  but  just  to  acknowledge,  that  if  the  im- 
mediate successors  of  the  apostles,  and  (to  extend 
the  limit  a.9  far  as  we  justly  can)  the  fathers  of  the 

*  St.  Augustine  admits  that  if  a  passage  were  found  in  the  Gos- 
pel evidently  opposed  to  the  instructions  of  the  Catholic  Church, 
the  authority  of  this  church  must  be  rejected.  This  language 
supposes,  not  only  that  everyone  ought  to  read  the  Bible  for  him- 
self, but  also  that  he  ousht  not,  in  any  case,  to  admit  an  interpre- 
tation manifestly  contradicted  by  the  sacred  text.  This  is  enough 
to  show  that  St.  Augustine  did  not  believe  in  an  infallible  interpre- 
tation, in  the  same  sen^e  in  which  it  is  now  understood  by  the  de- 
fenders of  the  Romish  church. 


132  INTERPRETATION 

first  three  centuries,  had  unanimously  taught  the  ex- 
istence of  an  infallible  tribunal,  it  would  be,  1  do  not 
say  an  absolute  proof,  but  a  strong  presumption  in 
its  favor.  For  though  the  fathers  cannot  be  con- 
sidered as  authority,  like  the  Holy  Scriptures  ;  yet 
they  can  show  us  how  they  were  understood  in  the 
first  ages  of  the  church,  when  the  faith  must  have 
been  purer,  one  would  think,  because  nearer  to  its 
source.  Let  us  then  confess,  if  it  had  been  every 
where  believed,  in  the  churches  founded  by  the 
apostles,  and  directed  after  their  death  by  the  pastors 
who  immediately  succeeded  them,  that  God  had 
established  an  infallible  tribunal,  for  the  interpreta- 
tion of  the  Scriptures,  there  would  be  reason  to  be. 
lieve  that  this  doctrine  came  from  the  apostles,  and 
consequently  that  it  was  true.  But,  madam,  the 
fathers  do  not  affirm  this.  A  general  belief  in  an  in- 
fallible tribunal  did  not  exist  in  the  primitive  church; 
and  the  Abbe  only  finds  it  there,  because  he  strange- 
ly mistakes  the  meaning  of  the  fathers  ;  having  given 
to  some  of  their  expressions  the  sense  which  they 
would  have  in  his  own  mouth  at  the  present  day,  in- 
stead of  that  which  they  had  in  theirs. 

This  kind  of  mistake  is  not  rare  in  the  interpre- 
tation of  the  fathers.  Let  us  cite  an  example, 
which  is  connected  with  our  subject.  The  word 
tradition,  which  the  Abbe  uses  several  times  in  this 
part  of  his  letter,  often,  in  the  fathers,  has  a  meaning 
so  different  from  that  which  it  bears  in  the  present 
day,  that  certain  passages  from  the  fathers  which 
are  used  to  establish  the  docrine  of  tradition  depose 
against  it.  You  know,  madam,  that  by  tradition  is 
generally  understood  "  the  word  of  God  not  written, 
which  the  apostles  received  from  the  lips  of  Christ, 
which  they  have  verbally  transmitted  to  their  disci- 
ples, or  to  their  successors,  and  which  has  descended 
to  us  by  the  teaching  of  ministers,  the  first  of  whom 


OF    THE    BIBLE.  133 

were  instructed  by  the  apostles."*     Tradition,  then, 

is  essentially  composed  of  articles  not  written  in  the 
Bible  ;  and  thus  furnishes  supplementary  instruction, 
intruded  to  complete  thai  of  die  written  word,  which 
is  not  considered  sufficient  of  itself.  Tradition,  thus 
defined,  is  supported  by  passages  from  the  fathers, 
in  which  the  same  word  in  effect  occurs  ;  but  has  it 
tli"  same  acceptation?  This  they  have  forgotten  to 
inquire.  The  fact  is,  it  generally  occurs  with  a  dif- 
ferent, and  even  opposite  meaning.  It  does,  indeed, 
signify  oral  instruction,  but  is  composed  of  exactly 
the  same  articles  which  are  treated  of  in  the  writ- 
ten word  ;  so  that  tradition,  instead  of  being  a  non- 
written  supplement  to  the  written  word,  is  nothing 
else  but  the  written  word  itself,  repeated  by  word  of 
mouth.  Here  are  two  proofs  of  this,  among  many 
others.  In  the  famous  passage  of  St.  Irenacus,  which 
is  perpetually  alleged  in  support  of  tradition,  and 
which  the  Abbe  cites  in  his  turn  ;  what  is  this  "  an- 
cient t rad lit ion  faithfully  preserved  by  these  barba- 
rous nations,  who  have  received  the  faith  of  Christ 
without  paper  or  ink?"  Is  it  some  precept  on  which 
the  Scriptures  are  silent  ?  No.  It  is  the  great  truths' 
with  which  the  Bible  is  filled ;  it  is  "  the  doctrine 
of  salvation,  concerning  God  the  Creator,  and  Jesus 
Christ  his  Son :"  and  this  doctrine,  you  will  ob- 
serve, not  interpreted  by  an  infallible  tribunal,  but 
"  written  in  their  hearts  by  the  Holy  Ghost."  My 
second  authority  is  St.  Cyprian.  "  From  whence 
has  this  pretended  tradition  taken  its  rise  ?  Is  it 
descended  from  the  authority  of  Christ,  and  from  the 
Gospels  ?  or  does  it  come  from  the  instructions  and 
the  Epistles  of  the  apostles  ?  God  himself  attests 
that  we  are  bound  to  practise  what  is  written.  If, 
therefore,  we  find  it  prescribed  in  the  Gospel,  or 
contained  in  the  Epistles,  or  in  the  Acts  of  the  Apos- 

*  Bergier,  Diet.  Theolog.  art.  Tradition. 
12 


134  INTERPRETATION 

ties,  let  us  then  observe  this  Divine  and  holy  tra- 
dition."* 

After  this  truly  inconceivable  confusion,  you  will 
not  find  it  difficult  to  believe  that  other  mistakes  may 
have  been  made.  And  I  have  no  hesitation  in  say- 
ing, that  the  Abbe  has  quoted  the  fathers  according 
to  his  own  ideas,  and  not  in  conformity  with  theirs, 
when  he  makes  them  assert  the  existence  of  an  in- 
fallible church.  This  is  their  real  meaning,  which 
is  quite  different.  The  fathers  argued  against 
heretical  sects,  who  introduced  new  dogmas,  un- 
supported by  Scripture.  In  opposing  them,  the 
fathers  urged  the  constant  and  universal  faith,  which 
had  been  transmitted  and  maintained  in  the  churches 
since  the  time  of  the  apostles,  and  said,  "  How  can 
we  believe  you,  when  all  these  churches  are  igno- 
rant of  your  doctrine,  and  receive  a  contrary  one  ? 
How,  for  instance,  shall  we  believe  you,  Arius,  who 
arose  three  centuries  alter  Christ,  to  inform  us  that 
he  is  merely  a  created  being ;  whilst  all  the  churches 
founded  by  the  apostles,  those  of  Jerusalem,  Antioch, 
Athens,  and  Rome,  with  all  the  others  born  of  these 
mother  churches,  those  of  Constantinople,  Alex- 
andria, Carthage,  and  Lyons,  have  constantly  taught, 
and  still  teach,  that  he  is  the  true  God  and  eternal 
life  ?" 

This  is  a  very  simple  argument,  madam,  and  one 
that  I  could  have  urged  in  their  place  ;  I,  who  do  not 
believe  in  an  infallible  tribunal.  It  is  an  argument 
often  used  by  orthodox  Protestant  ministers,  in  con- 
troversy with  Socinians.  They  allege  against  them 
the  unvarying  doctrine  of  their  churches  since  the 
Reformation,  and  the  unanimous  agreement  of  their 

*  Epist.  lxxiv.  Op.  vol.  ii.  p.  211.  It  is  a  remarkable  fact,  that 
the  Jews  and  the  heretics  alone  have  believed  in  tradition  as  it 
is  taught  by  the  Abbe  Favien.  See,  for  the  heretics,  Irenaeus 
adv.  Haeret.,  lib.  iii.  c.  1 , 2,  p.  169,  170  ;  and  for  the  Jews,  Pictet, 
Theolog.  Chret.,p.  115. 


OF    THE    BIBLE.  135 

creeds.     What  do  I  say'     They  allege  against  them 

tlu-  very  testimony  of  the  primitive  churches,  which 
the  fathers  urged  against  the  heretics  of  their  time. 
The  conclusion  which  the  Ahbe  draws  from  this 
argument  of  the  lathers  has,  in  reality,  no  more 
foundation  than  if  he  were  to  conclude  that  the  church 
of  England  believes  in  an  infallible  church,  because 
its  only  rule  of  faith  is  the  Holy  Scriptures,  but  the 
Scriptures  as  ihey  were  understood  by  primitive 
antiquity.* 

To  appeal  to  the  constant  belief  of  the  churches, 
is  not  to  proclaim  an  infallible  church.  For,  in  the 
first  place,  no  particular  church  is  meant ;  but  all  the 
churches,  or  the  church  of  Christ  in  general.  Se- 
condly, and  especially,  infallibility  is  not  meant  to 
be  attributed  to  this  church  of  Christ,  but  only  fidelity. 
It  is  one  thing  for  a  church  to  he  established  of  God 
for  the  interpretation  of  the  Scriptures,  and  another 
thing  for  it  to  have  received  grace  to  understand 
them.f  All  that  the  language  of  the  fathers  supposes 
is,  that  God  always  reserves  to  himself  a  faithful 
church  on  earth,  which  preserves  his  doctrine,  if  not 
entirely  free  from  error,  at  least  free  from  any  capital 
error,  incompatible  with  salvation.  In  addition,  let 
us  remark,  that  if  the  argument  here  used  by  the 
fathers  may  be  employed  at  any  period,  it  had  espe- 

*  Such  also  is  the  doctrine  of  the  minister  Claude,  in  the  follow- 
ing passage  :— "  Our  faith  has  two  relations  :  it  is  the  daughter  of 
the  word  of  God,  and  the  sister  of  the  faith  of  the  ancient  church. 
Holy  Scripture  is  the  Divine  principle,  alone  necessary  and  all- 
sufficient  to  give  it  birth;  the  consent  of  the  church  is  a  human 
principle,  often  calculated  to  promote  its  discernment." — Pictet, 
Theolog.  Chret.,  p.  131. 

f  Observe  these  words  of  Tertullian  (de  Praescr.  adv.  Hoer.,sec. 
9.  Oppr.,  ]>.  105:) — "Granting  that  all  the  churches  have  erred, 
shall  we  say  that  the  Holy  Spirit  has  not  looked  upon  any  of  them 
to  bring  them  back  to  the  truth  ;  he  who  was  expressly  sent  by 
Christ,  and  expressly  asked  of  the  Father,  to  teach  truth ?  Shall 
we  u :v  that  this  Minister  of  God,  this  Vicar  of  Christ,  has  ncg- 
lected  his  work,  and  Buffered  the  churches  to  understand  and  be- 
otherwise  than  he  had  himself  taught  the  apostles  to  preach?" 


136  INTERPRETATION 

cial  force  at  a  time  when  the  remembrance  of  the 
apostolic  teaching  was  recent,  and  when  the  faith 
had  not  yet  undergone  those  general  and  essential 

changes  which  we  have  since  had  to  deplore. 

Should  any  one  attempt  to  support  the  interpreta- 
tion which  the  Abbe  gives  to  the  fathers,  here  is  de- 
cisive authority  against  it,  that  of  the  fathers  them- 
selves. They  believed,  according  to  the  Abbe,  in 
an  infallible  tribunal,  to  which  the  believer  ought  to 
submit,  without  reserve,  for  the  explanation  of  the 
Scriptures.  But  you  will  now  hear  them  say,  on 
the  contrary,  that  the  Scriptures  alone  are  infallible, 
and  that  every  one  ought  to  consult  them  for  him- 
self. 

Since  they  speak  so  much  of  St.  Augustine,  let  us 
begin  with  him.  In  writing  against  the  sect  of  the 
Donatists,  he  says  : — "  Why  do  you  produce  the 
authority  of  Cyprian  for  your  schism,  whilst  you 
reject  his  example  for  the  peace  of  the  church  ? 
Who  does  not  know  that  the  canon  of  the  Holy 
Scriptures  is  contained  in  limits  which  are  very 
clearly  defined  ;  and  that  it  ought  to  be  placed  above 
all  the  letters  which  may  since  have  been  written  by 
the  bishops  ?  For,  as  to  the  Scriptures,  neither 
doubt  nor  discussion  is  possible,  on  the  truth  or 
justice  of  whatever  is  found  incontestably  written 
therein.  But  the  letters  of  bishops,  which  have  been 
written,  or  which  may  still  be  written,  since  the 
canon  has  been  fixed,  may  be  controlled  in  case  of 
error,  either  by  the  more  enlightened  opinion  of  some 
more  skilful  divine,  or  by  the  greater  authority  or 
more  extended  knowledge  of  other  bishops,  or  by  the 
decisions  of  councils.  The  national  councils,  or  the 
provincial,  in  their  turn,  ought  to  yield  without  con- 
test to  the  authority  of  the  general  councils,  assembled 
from  all  parts  of  the  Christian  world.  Lastly,  it  is 
not  rare  for  the  general  councils  themselves  to  be  set 
right  by  succeeding  councils,  when  longer  experience 


OF    THE    BIBLE.  137 

has  opened  what  was  sealed,  and  brought  to  tight 
what  was  unknown."* 

Will  you,  also,  read  the  following  testimonies, 
and  judge  whether  they  accord  with  the  Abbe's 
sentiments,  or  with  mine?  "Let  the  shop  of  Her- 
mogenes  prove  that  what  it  advances  is  written  ;  or 
if  it  be  not  written,  let  it  fear  the  malediction  uttered 
against  those  who  dare  to  add  or  to  retrench."! 
"  The  holy  and  divinely  inspired  writings  are  suffi- 
cient, of  themselves  alone,  to  make  known  the 
truth. "J  "  If  you  desire  a  new  quotation,  if  you  pre- 
tend to  affirm  anything  besides  what  is  written,  why 
do  you  dispute  with  us,  who  are  resolved  to  hear 
nothing,  and  to  say  nothing,  besides  what  is  writ- 
ten ?"§  u  It  is  a  mockery  to  ask  questions,  or  to  make 
discourses,  on  that  which  is  not  written."!  "  What 
the  Scriptures  have  not  declared,  you  will  never 
find."Tf  "  It  is  evidently  a  falling  away  from  the 
faith,  and  a  proof  of  great  presumption,  to  neglect  any 
part  of  what  is  written,  or  to  introduce  anything  that 
is  not  written."**  "  What  is  written,  believe  ;  what 
is  not  written,  seek  not  to  discover. "tf 

I  conclude  by  a  passage  from  St.  Chrysostom, 
which  bears  directly  on  our  subject : — "  When  we 
receive  money,  we  do  not  trust  to  those  who  give  it 
to  us  ;  we  wish  to  count  it  ourselves  ;  and  when 
there  is  a  question  of  Divine  things,  would  it  not  be 
a  folly  rashly  and  blindly  to  receive  the  opinions  of 
others,  when  we  have  a  rule  by  which  we  can  ex- 
amine everything  ?  I  mean  the  Divine  law.  It  is 
for  this  reason  that  I  conjure  you  all,  without  resting 

*  De  Bapt.  contra  Dnnatist.,  lib.  ii.  c.  3.  Oper.,  vol.  vii.  p.  37. 
f  Tertullian  adv.  Hermog.  12  Oper.,  p.  346. 
\  St.  Athanasius,  Orat.  contr.  Gent.,  Oper.,  vol.  i.  p.  1. 
§  The  same,  De  Incarn.  Chr.,  Oper.,  vol.  i.  p.  484. 
||  The  same,  Epist.  ad  Serap.,  Oper.,  vol.  ii.  p.  29. 
IT  The  same,  De  S.  Trim  Dial.,  Oper.,  vol.  ii.  p.  172. 
••  St.  Basil,' de  vera  fide,  Oper.,  vol.  ii.  p.  386. 
ft  The  same,  Homil.  de  Trim,  xxix. 
12* 


138  INTERPRETATION 

in  the  slightest  degree  on  the  judgment  of  others,  to 
consult  the  Scriptures."* 

After  what  we  have  just  seen,  madam,  we  may 
boldly  affirm,  the  fathers  have  been  misunderstood  by 
the  Abbe  ;  they  do  not  say  what  he  makes  them  to 
say ;  they  even  say  the  contrary. 

I  do  not  wish  to  appear  more  learned  than  I  am. 
The  greater  part  of  my  quotations  have  been  furnished 
by  a  friend,  well  versed  in  these  matters.  I  also  hold 
from  the  same  authority,  that  among  the  writings  of 
the  fathers,  quoted  by  the  Abbe,  there  are  some  which 
appear  to  have  undergone  alteration.  The  treatise  of 
St.  Cyprian,  on  the  Unity  of  the  Church,  is  especially 
suspected  of  interpolation.  But  it  is  not  requisite  that 
I  should  engage  in  this  critical  discussion.  I  consi- 
der the  question  in  a  point  of  view  at  once  more 
general,  and  more  suited  to  my  capabilities. 

The  Abbe  terminates  this  article,  by  a  remark  to 
which  I  shall  only  say  a  few  words  in  reply.  From 
the  fact  that  the  belief  in  an  infallible  church  has 
prevailed  in  the  world,  he  thinks  that  we  may  con- 
clude that  God  is  for  it.  Success  appears  to  him  to 
justify  the  pretensions  of  the  church ;  as  the  esta- 
blishment of  Christianity  proves  its  Divine  origin. 
But  the  cases  are  far  from  being  similar.  Whilst 
Christianity  clashed  with  every  received  idea,  every 
interest,  and  had  no  human  aid  whatever,  the  doc- 
trine of  an  infallible  church  met  with  much  less 
resistance,  and  found  great  support.  Self-will  is  op- 
posed to  it,  says  the  Abbe.  This  may  be  true  in 
your  case,  madam,  but  with  the  generality  of  minds, 
just  the  contrary  is  true.  They  find  it  very  conve- 
nient to  be  exonerated  from  the  heavy  responsibility 
connected  with  the  search  of  salvation  ;  and  the  na 
tural  unbelief  of  the  human  heart  is  but  too  well 
satisfied  to  treat  with  man  rather  than  with  God. 
Besides,  this  doctrine  has,  alas  !  been  early  aided,  to 
*  Homil.  xiii.  in  2  Cor.,  quoted  by  Pictet,  p.  136. 


OF    THE    BIBLB.  139 

what   extent    we   are    well    aware,  by  Beculai   power. 

1  will  not  institute  a  comparison  .hut  if  any  one  wire 
inclined  to  do  so,  he  would  perhaps  find  more  analogy 
between  its  success,  and  that  of  Mohammed,  than 
that  of  Christ.  There  is  another  remark  which  is 
applicable  to  this  point.  The  New  Testament  an- 
nounces a  church  which  shall  turn  away  from  the 
truth,  and  which  shall  extend  its  dominion  over  al- 
most the  whole  Christian  world.  In  this  point  of 
view,  madam,  might  not  the  argument  which  the 
Abbe  alleges  in  favor  of  his  infallible  church,  be 
turned  againsl  him  ? 

But  it  suffices  me  to  have  shown  you,  that  in 
neither  of  these  two  proofs,  which  we  have  just  exa- 
mined, will  you  hud  that  sure  resting-place,  that  rock 
on  which  alone  your  faith  can  repose  unshaken. 
Imagine  yourself  stretched  on  the  bed  of  death.  Is 
it  a  Logical  deduction,  is  it  the  testimony  of  man,  that 
can  give  peace  to  your  soul,  in  presence  of  the  judg- 
ment of  God  ?  Can  you  say,  I  am  sure  that  my  sins 
are  forgiven  me,  for  I  know  it  by  argument,  or  from 
history  ?  Ah  !  madam,  if,  instead  of  all  this,  you  had 
a  promise  from  God,  a  word  from  the  Bible,  a  single 
word  ;  is  it  not  true  that  this  would  give  you  much 
greater  tranquillity  ?  Let  us,  then,  learn  what  the 
Scriptures  say  on  the  question  which  now  occupies 
us :  the  Scriptures  which  we  all  agree  to  consider  as 
the  word  of  God.  Let  us  listen  to  them  without 
prejudice.  If  it  be  true,  as  the  Abbe  says,  that  they 
send  us  back  to  an  infallible  tribunal,  we  will  receive 
it ;  if  not,  we  will  reject  it.  For  it  is  written,  "  Be- 
lieve in  the  Lord  your  God,  so  shall  ye  be  esta- 
blished ;   believe  his  prophets,  so  shall  ye  prosper," 

2  Chron.  xx.  20. 

P.  S.  I  see  by  the  Abbe's  first  letter,  that  you 
have  been  led  to  entertain  doubts  respecting  the  ver- 
sions of  the  Bible  sold  by  the  colporteurs.  They 
have  been  represented  to  you  both  as  falsified  and 


140  INTERPRETATION 

mutilated.  Now  that  we  are  about  to  examine  the 
Bible,  a  few  words  of  explanation  on  this  subject  will 
not  be  useless. 

The  Abbe  has  done  justice  to  the  first  of  these 
accusations,  with  a  fairness  that  does  him  honor. 
My  testimony  will  add  nothing  to  his,  with  respect 
to  the  Catholic  versions.  As  to  the  Protestant  ver- 
sion, sold  by  the  colporteurs,  I  have  attentively  com- 
pared them  with  that  of  Saci,  and  with  the  other 
approved  versions.  I  have  found  no  other  difference 
in  the  New  Testament  besides  that  which  i.s  always 
found  between  two  translations  of  the  same  work. 
The  meaning  is  the  same,  the  expression  alone  va- 
ries. It  is  even  difficult  to  decide  which  of  these 
versions  is  preferable.  The  Catholic  ones  are  more 
elegant,  more  French  ;  the  Protestant  have  a  more 
antique  tinge,  and  more  closely  follow  the  original. 
For  a  long  time,  I  preferred  the  former  ;  now  I  am 
of  a  different  opinion,  because  what  I  especially  seek 
in  a  translation  is,  to  have  the  sense  of  the  inspired 
author  with  scrupulous  fidelity,  were  it  even  a  little 
servile.  I  habitually  use  a  Protestant  version,  and 
from  it  I  shall  make  my  quotations  in  writing  to  yon. 
But  this  is  only  matter  of  taste,  and  every  one  is  free 
to  choose.  That  which  is  most  essential  is,  to  know 
that  the  reproach  of  falsification  i.s  a  mere  calumny. 

But  in  the  Old  Testament  there  is  a  real  and  im- 
portant difference  between  the  versions  of  the  two 
communions.  The  Catholic  versions  contain  several 
books  which  the  greater  part  of  the  Protestant  ver- 
sions do  not,  because  the  Protestants  consider  them 
as  apocryphal,  or  uninspired. 

I  learned  from  Mr.  Z  *  *  *,  that  they  are  led  to  this 
conclusion  by  the  following  reasons  :  1 .  These  books 
have  never  been  recognised  by  the  Jews,  who  are 
the  guarantees  and  depositaries  of  the  Old  Testa- 
ment, as  the  Christian  church  is  of  the  New :  for, 
"  unto  them,"  said  St.  Paul,  "  were  committed  the 


OF    THE    BIBLE.  141 

oracles  of  God."  2.  They  do  not  exist  in  Hebrew, 
hut  only  in  Greek;   an   additional  proof  thai  they  do 

not  form  a  part  of  the  canon  of  the  old  Testament, 
<>f  which  Hebrew  is  the  original  language,  as  Greek 
is  thai  of  the  New.  To  these  two  principal  reasons 
he  added  three  others  :  that  these  books  have  never 
been  quoted  in  the  New  Testament,  that  they  were 
not  admitted  into  the  canon  of  the  primitive  church;* 
lastly,  thai  it  suffices  to  compare  them  with  the  ca- 
nonical hooks  to  feel  that  the  same  Spirit  could  not 
have  presided  at  the  compilation  of  both.  "  As  Ober- 
lin  said,"  added  he,  "in  passing  from  the  canon  to 
the  apocrypha,  one  experiences  the  same  feeling  as 
in  passing  from  the  apostles  to  the  fathers." 

These  reasons  are  grave,  and  have  induced  me  to 
purchase  the  version  of  Saci,  such  as  it  is  sold  by 
the  colporteurs,  without  the  apocrypha ;  and  the  fol- 
lowing considerations  ought  to  set  your  mind  at  rest. 
Remark,  in  the  first  place,  that  all  the  books  received 
as  canonical  by  the  Protestants,  are  equally  received 
by  the  Catholics.  In  reading  these  books,  as  in- 
spired, you  therefore  risk  nothing.  You  have  not, 
according  to  the  Abbe,  the  whole  Bible  ;  but  you 
have,  according  to  the  Abbe  himself,  nothing  beside 
the  Bible.  In  case  of  doubt,  this  is  a  safer  way  than 
to  expose  one's  self  to  the  danger  of  ascribing  to  the 
Holy  Spirit  books  which  are  none  of  his.  Besides, 
this  difference  does  not  affect  the  New  Testament, 
which  is  exactly  the  same  in  the  two  communions. 
So  that  you  have  only  to  begin  as  I  did,  and  as  the 
bishop  of  Montauban  authorized  the   people  of  his 

*  The  reader  who  wishes  to  obtain  full  information  on  this  sub- 
ject, will  do  well  to  consult  Bishop  Cosin's  "  Scholastical  History 
of  the  Canon  of  Scripture  :"  a  work  of  vast  learning  and  research. 
The  author  proves  that  the  apocryphal  books  were  never  acknow- 
ledged as  inspired,  either  by  the  Jewish  or  the  Christian  church  ; 
and  that  canonical  authority  was  first  claimed  for  tliem  by  the 
Romish  council  of  Trent,  which  was  held  in  comparatively  modern 
tunes. — Tr. 


142  INTERPRETATION 

diocess  to  do,  by  taking  the  New  Testament,  and 
taking  the  version  of  Saei ;  for  the  rest,  God  will 
guide  you. 

In  a  word,  all  that  is  said  against  the  books  of  the 
colporteurs  has  no  other  object  than  to  awaken  un- 
founded scruples  in  the  minds  of  men,  and  thus  to 
prevent  them  from  reading  the  word  of  God.  The 
true  question  does  not  lie  there.  Is  the  Bible  the 
book  of  all,  or  is  it  but  the  book  of  the  few  ?  This  is 
the  capital  point.  When  it  has  been  solved,  the  rest 
of  the  difficulties  will  solve  themselves. 


LETTER  XII. 

MR.    MERCIER    TO   LUCILLA. 

At  length,  madam,  Ave  are  in  presence  of  a  very 
intelligible  question,  and  on  determinate  ground. 
What  we  want  to  know  is,  whether  God  wills  that 
we  should  seek  the  meaning  of  Scripture  for  our- 
selves ;  or  whether  we  should  ask  it  of  a  visible 
tribunal :  and,  in  order  to  learn  this,  we  are  about  to 
consult  the  Scriptures  themselves  ;  a  book  which 
we  have  before  our  eyes,  and  which  we  have  only 
to  read. 

Others,  besides  Mr.  Favien,  will  perhaps  tell  you, 
that  there  are  many  who  cannot  read  ;  that  as  the 
versions  are  not  inspired,  we  cannot  be  assured  of 
their  exactness,  without  researches  of  which  every 
one  is  not  capable  ;  and,  moreover,  that  before  you 
thus  consult  the  Bible,  you  should  already  have  de- 
cided the  question  as  to  whether  we  can  understand 
it  or  not.  But  the  Abbe  has  too  much  right  feeling 
to  propose  such  objections,  or  rather  such  sophisms. 
There  are  many  who  cannot  read  ;  well,  they  can 
hear  the  Bible  read.     It  is  comparatively  unimportant 


OF    THE    BIBLE.  143 

whether  they  actually  see  what  is  written,  or  only 
hear  it.  We  cannot  be  assured  of  the  exactness  of 
the  versions  .'  But  is  it  not  true,  madam,  that,  with- 
out knowing  English,  you  may  he  assured  of  the 
fidelity  o\  a  translation  of  Milton,  by  the  testimony 
of  credible  men,  who  know  this  language  ?  Now,  in 
this  instance,  you  have  more  than  the  testimony  of  a 
few  individuals  ;  you  have  that  of  numberless  divines, 
and  of  entire  churches.  Moreover,  let  them  choose 
which  they  will  among  all  the  received  versions, 
Catholic  or  Protestant,  that  of  Saci,  that  of  Amelot, 
that  of  Martin,  that  of  Ostervald  ;  the  most  imperfect 
is  more  than  sufficiently  clear  for  my  purpose.  But 
you  cannot  tell,  until  you  have  decided  the  question 
of  a  visible  tribunal,  whether  you  are  able  to  under- 
stand the  passages  which  refer  to  this  very  subject  ? 
If  such  be  the  case,  we  shall  never  decide  it.  What ! 
tiny  conclude  that  the  Bible  is  subject  to  the  inter- 
pretation of  a  human  tribunal,  without  even  allowing 
it  to  say  a  word  on  the  matter !  They  dispose  of 
the  word  of  God,  without  even  consulting  it !  With 
this  principle  they  may  go  any  length.  Truly,  all 
that  they  can  reasonably  require  is,  that  we  should 
confine  ourselves  to  plain  and  simple  quotations  ;  and 
this,  you  will  see,  I  shall  do.  If  they  distrust  your 
judgment  so  far  as  to  think  you  incapable  of  under- 
standing even  passages  of  this  nature,  why  should 
you  be  even  less  incapable  of  understanding  the  ex- 
planations of  the  church  ?  If  you  cannot  take  a  step 
without  infallibility,  it  will  no  longer  suffice  for  the 
church  to  be  infallible  ;  you  must  be  so  yourself.  But 
the  good  Abbe  who  makes  use  of  the  Bible  to  support 
his  theory,  cannot  take  it  ill  if  we  use  it  in  the  support 
of  ours. 

Let  us,  then,  open  the  Bible,    to    learn  what   it 
teaches  on  the  subject  of  its  own  interpretation. 


144  INTERPRETATION 

THIRD  PROOF. 


HOLY    SCRIPTURE. 


In  the  first  place,  let  us  inquire  whether  the 
Scriptures  are  in  favor  of  Mr.  Favien's  doctrine. 
He  has  produced  his  texts  ;  we  have  only  to  examine 
them. 

Let  us  begin  by  a  general  remark  on  the  use  which 
he  makes  of  Scripture.  It  is  with  grief  I  observe 
that  the  Abbe,  in  several  instances,  quotes  Scripture 
unadvisedly  ;  applying  the  declarations  of  this  holy 
volume  to  subjects  with  which  they  have  no  connex- 
ion. Here  are  several  examples  of  this.  When  it 
is  said,  1  Pet.  ii.  18,  that  we  ought  to  be  subject  even 
"  to  the  froward,"  the  apostle  speaks  of  the  duties  of 
servants  towards  their  masters  ;  the  Abbe,  of  those 
of  the  faithful  towards  their  pastors.  The  "  sincere 
milk,"  of  which  the  same  apostle  speaks,  1  Pet.  ii.  2, 
is  the  milk  of  the  word  of  God ;  (see  ch.  i.  25  :)  the 
Abbe  mentions  it  as  the  milk  of  the  church.  "  The 
letter"  which  "  killeth,"  2  Cor.  iii.  6,  is  the  Jewish 
law  ;  and  "  the  Spirit"  which  "  giveth  life,"  is  the 
Holy  Spirit,  shed  abroad  under  the  New  Testament 
dispensation.  The  Abbe  gives  to  these  two  words 
the  sense  which  they  have  in  ordinary  language,  but 
which  is  altogether  foreign  to  the  subject  of  St.  Paul. 
This  "  holy  law,"  by  which  "  sin  worketh  death," 
Rom.vii.  12,  13,  is  the  commandment  of  God,  which 
condemns  transgressors  to  death  :  the  Abbe  takes  it 
for  the  word  of  God,  to  which  St.  Paul  makes  no 
reference  in  this  passage.  Lastly,  the  "  private  in- 
terpretation," against  which  St.  Peter  forewarns  the 
faithful,  2  Pet.  i.  20,  is  a  private  interpretation  of  the 
prophet,  and  not,  as  the  Abbe  supposes,  a  private  in- 
terpretation by  the  reader.*     The   doctrine  of  the 

*  It  must  be  confessed  that  certain  Catholic  versions,  even  that 
.f  Saci,  which  the  Abbe  has  followed,  countenance  the  error  into 


OK    THE    BIBLE.  145 

apostle  is  this:  "  Prophecy  ought  to  be  explained, 
not  by  the  private  sentiments  of  the  prophet,  but  by 
the  designs  of  God."  Thus,  when  you  meet  with 
the   terrible    imprecations  which  are  found   in  the 

Psalms,  you  must  consider  them,  not  as  expressions 
of  vengeance  on  the  part  of  the  psalmist  against  his 
enemies,  but  as  the  inspired  declaration  of  the  holy 
wrath  of  God  against  his  foes.  It  is  evident  that 
such  is  the  meaning  of  St.  Peter,  from  the  reason 
which  he  gives  for  this  declaration  :  "  For  prophecy 
came  not  in  the  old  time  by  the  will  of  man  ;  but  holy 
men  of  God  spake  as  they  were  moved  by  the  Holy 
Ghost."  You  see,  from  these  examples,  that  the  Abbe 
sometimes  quotes  Scripture  falsely ;  an  error  which 
is  too  common  among  the  defenders  of  an  infallible 
tribunal.  This  will  oblige  you.  madam,  to  verify  the 
quotations  yourself.  But  I  speak  of  verifying  the 
quotations  ; — and,  perhaps,  you  have  not  a  Bible  !  If 
such  be  the  case,  I  must  strongly  express  my  regret. 
It  is  most  desirable  that  you  should  have  one  before 
you  while  reading  my  letters.  Let  us  now  examine 
the  texts  cited  by  the  Abbe  ;  which  you  will  have  the 
goodness  to  re-peruse.  (P.  94-96.) 

Let  us  go  at  once  to  the  point.  In  these  two  pages 
of  quotations,  which  one  might  imagine  would  contain 
the  strongest  passages  in  favor  of  an  infallible  church 
that  are  to  be  found  in  the  Bible  (and  they  have  been 
sought  after  for  more  than  a  thousand  years),  do  you 
find  a  single  passage  which  formally  proclaims  that 
God  has  established  an  infallible  tribunal  for  the  in- 
terpretation of  the  Scriptures  ?  And,  especially,  do  you 
find  one  which  says,  that  this  tribunal  is  to  be  found 
in  the  Roman  Catholic  church  ?  You  see  that  I 
wander  a  little  from  the  general  proposition  to  which 

which  he  has  fallen,  by  adding  the  words  "  is  explained  by," 
which  are  not  found  in  the  original.  The  literal  translation  is, 
"  No  prophecy  of  the  Scripture  is  ot  any  private  solution."  Some 
of  the  ancient  Catholic  versions  render  it  thus  :  "  No  prophecy  of 
the  Scripture  is  by  private  exposition." 

13 


146  INTERPRETATION 

we  agreed  to  confine  ourselves  ;  and  I  enter  for  a 
moment  on  the  particular  question  of  the  infallibility 

of  the  Romish  church,  because  the  Abbess  logical 
display  cannot  hold  good  ;  and  in  presence  of  the 
word  of  God,  it  is  impossible  not  to  inquire  wheth- 
er it  does  not  afford,  at  least,  a  few  words  in 
favor  of  this  specific  church,  which  is,  after  all,  in 
practice,  that  to  which  we  ought  to  listen,  as  to  God 
himself.  Surely,  they  must  expect  this,  if  the  doc- 
trine of  the  Abbe  be  true.  For  this  point  is  funda- 
mental, quite  as  fundamental  as  that  of  original  sin, 
or  redemption.  We  may  even  affirm  that  it  is  more 
so,  in  one  sense  :  because  everything  else  depends  on 
this  one  article  ;  and  an  infallible  tribunal  once  ad- 
mitted, neither  original  sin,  nor  redemption,  nor  any 
other  doctrine,  can  be  received  but  with  its  consent. 
And  if  there  should  indeed  exist,  somewhere  on  earth, 
a  body  to  whom  God  has  intrusted  the  work  of  ex- 
plaining his  word,  what  can  be  more  urgent  than  the 
discovery  of  it  ?  With  it,  I  possess  the  whole  truth  ; 
without  it,  all  is  error.  It  is  as  if  I  were  told  that 
Christ  is  on  earth,  in  person  ;  and  that  I  can  go  and 
interrogate  him  on  all  that  concerns  my  salvation. 
Oh!  show  me  this  infallible  tribunal,  this  second 
revelation,  without  which  the  first  becomes  useless  ! 
O  Lord,  show  me  the  truth,  in  which  my  soul's' sal- 
vation is  involved  ;  on  thee  alone  will  I  rely.  Doubt- 
less, thy  word  will  enlighten  me. 

Acknowledge,  madam,  that  this  prayer  would  be 
very  natural  ;  and,  moreover,  that  it  would  be  fully 
justified  by  the  manner  of  God's  dispensations.  Re- 
call to  mind  with  what  clearness  he  made  known  to 
the  Israelites  under  the  Old  Testament  dispensation, 
that  it  was  in  Jerusalem  that  the  solemn  feasts  were 
to  be  celebrated ;  and  there  that  the  sacrifices  pre- 
scribed by  the  law  were  to  be  offered.  He  does  not 
confine  himself  to  stating  that  in  some  corner  of  the 
world  there  exists  a  city  in  which  he  designs  to  re 


OF    THE    BIBLE.  147 

ceive  the  homage  of  his  people  ;  Jerusalem  is  ex- 
pressly named.  The  distinction  is  carefully  estab- 
lished between  the  tabernacle,  which  was  destined 
for  a  time  to  answer  this  holy  purpose,  and  the  tem- 
ple of  Jerusalem,  which  was  to  be  substituted  in  its 
place  from  the  time  of  Solomon.  This  was  so  far 
the  case,  that  King  Jeroboam  no  sooner  attempted  to 
establish  an  altar  elsewhere,  than  he  immediately 
fell  into  idolatry.*  While  the  Old  Testament  thus 
sp.aks  a  language  so  clear,  would  the  New,  which, 
by  every  one's  confession,  possesses  much  more  light, 
and  a  fuller  development,  leave  us  in  the  dark  on  a 
point  connected  with  the  very  principle  of  our  salva- 
tion 7  Nevertheless,  there  is  not  a  text  to  the  point, 
madam  ;  not  a  single  one  !  St.  Paul,  who,  in  his 
fourteen  Epistles,  has  treated  of  all  the  great  ques- 
tions of  our  faith — St.  Paul,  who  addressed  the  long- 
est of  these  epistles  to  the  church  of  Rome  itself, 
says  not  a  word  on  the  subject !  St.  Peter,  who  has 
written  two  letters,  addressed  to  so  many  churches  at 
once,  and  so  complete  in  their  brevity — St.  Peter, 
who,  according  to  the  Abbe,  has  the  key  of  this  im- 
mense edifice,  does  not  even  mention  it !  Jesus 
Christ,  who,  with  so  much  condescension,  forestalled 
the  inquiries  of  his  disciples,  that  he  one  day  ad- 
dressed to  them  these  touching  words,  "  If  it  were 
not  so,  I  would  have  told  you,"  John  xiv.  2,  speaks 
not  of  it !  Not  one  among  them  says  a  single  word 
of  a  Catholic  church,  nor  of  an  infallible  church,  nor 
of  a  tribunal  charged  with  the  explanation  of  the 
Scriptures.  What  think  you,  madam,  of  this  silence  ? 
does  it  not  speak  louder  than  words  ?  Would  God 
leave  us  to  conjectures,  or  to  inductions  only,  always 
more  or  less  uncertain,  on  the  very  foundation  of  our 
faith  ?     No,  assuredly  no  ;  a  thousand  times  no  ! 

But  what,  in  fact,  are  these  inductions,  on  which 
they  wish  you  to  risk  your  eternal  interests  ?  Let  us 
take,  in  the  first  place,  the  celebrated  promise  of  our 


148  INTERPRETATION 

Lord  to  St.  Peter,  Matt.  xvi.  18,  and  let  us  pause  a 
little  thereon;  since,  among  all  the  Abbe's  quotations, 
it  is  the  only  one  in  which,  according  to  his  views, 
the  Romish  church  allows  itself  to  be  perceived, 
though  on  a  very  dim  and  distant  horizon.  He  has 
not  enlarged  on  this  point ;  but  his  meaning  is  suffi- 
ciently evident,  being  that  of  all  the  partisans  of  an 
infallible  tribunal.  In  this  passage  they  see  St.  Peter 
as  the  vicar  of  Jesus  Christ  on  earth  ;  then  St.  Peter, 
as  bishop  of  Rome  ;  and  lastly,  St.  Peter  transmitting 
his  prerogatives  to  the  bishops  of  Rome,  his  succes- 
sors. They  see  all  this  ;  but  do  you  see  it,  madam? 
Here  is  a  promise  for  the  church  :  "  The  gates  of 
hell  shall  not  prevail  against  it ;"  (to  this  we  shall 
recur ;)  and  here  are,  also,  personal  promises  for  St. 
Peter,  to  which  we  must  confine  ourselves  for  the 
moment. 

These  promises,  and  especially  the  first,  have  re- 
ceived more  than  one  interpretation.  Let  us  admit 
that  which  is  the  most  favorable  to  the  Abbe's  opi- 
nion :  the  church  of  Christ  will  be  built  upon  St. 
Peter.  Let  us  admit  this,  though  it  has  not  the  au- 
thority of  the  fathers  in  its  favor  ;  for  the  most  ancient 
among  them  have  preferred  to  see  in  "  the  rock"  on 
which  the  church  of  Christ  was  to  be  built,  either 
the  person  of  Christ,  or  the  testimony  which  his  dis- 
ciple had  just  borne  to  him  ;  seeing,  says  St.  Augus- 
tine, that  "  it  is  not  the  rock  which  is  upon  Peter, 
but  Peter  who  is  upon  the  rock."*     Even  with  this 

*  "  Non  petra  super  Petrum,  sed  Petrus  super  petram."  Justin, 
the  most  ancient  of  the  fathers  who  have  written  on  this  passage, 
gives  us  to  understand  that  the  rock  on  which  our  Lord  has  pro- 
mised to  build  his  church,  is  St.  Peter's  confession  of  faith.  (Jus- 
tin, Dial,  cum  Tryph.,  Oper.,  p.  255,  Sylbourg.  1593.)  According 
to  St.  Athanasius,  St.  Jerome,  St.  Augustine,  it  is  Jesus  Christ 
himself.  (Athan.,  Unum  esse  Christ.  Orat.,  Oper.,  vol.  i.  p.  519, 
520,  Commel,  1600.  Hieron.  Comment,  in  .Matt.  xvi.  IS,  lib.  iii. 
Oper.,  vol.  vi.  p.  33.  Colon.  1616.  August.,  Kxpos.  in  Evang.  Johan., 
Tract,  cxxiv.,  Oper.,  vol.  ix.  p.  206,  Colon.  1616.)  Chrysostom 
contradicts  himself  in  his  explanation  of  this  word  In  one  pas- 
sage he  understands  it  to  apply  to  the  person  of  Peter,  but  in 


OF    THE    BIB]  I'..  149 

interpretation,  the  promise  made  to  St.  Peter  doe? 
not  suppose  thai  he  was  established  the  vicar  of  Jesus 
Chris!,  h  is  explained  quite  naturally, like  so  many 
other  of  Christ's  promises  to  his  disciples,  by  the 
book  of  the  Acts  of  the  Apostles;  a  practical  com- 
mentary,  where  we  may  learn,  by  i'acts,  how  the 
apostles  understood  these  promises,  and  what  accom- 
plishment they  have  received.  The  promise  now  in 
contemplation  is  illustrated  by  the  second  and  the 
tenth  chapters  of  this  book:  by  the  second,  where 
we  set  St.  Peter  the  first  to  announce  the  gospel  to 
the  Jews  ;  by  the  tenth,  where  he  is  the  first  to  an- 
nounce it  to  the  heathen  :  so  that  he  opens  the  king- 
dom of  heaven  both  to  the  one  and  the  other,  and 
lays  the  first  stone  of  each  of  the  two  churches,  of 
which  the  universal  church  is  composed.  Surely  it 
is  a  glorious  privilege  granted  to  St.  Peter,  as  a  re- 
compense for  his  having  been  the  first  among  all  to 
confess  Jesus  Christ,  openly  and  publicly,  as  the  Son 
of  God  :  a  circumstance  judged  so  worthy  of  remark 
by  the  inspired  historians  of  Christ,  that  it  is  among 
the  small  number  of  those  which  have  been  related 

another,  he  very  explicitly  condemns  this  interpretation,  and  sees 
in  the  "  rock"  the  confession  of  the  apostle.  (Chrysost.  Homil. 
ixix.  in  Petr.  Apost.  et  Eliam  Proph.,  Oper.,  vol.  i.  p.  856  ;  Serm. 
le  Pentecost.,  Oper.,  vol.  vi.  p.  233,  Commel,  1603.)  This  last 
sentiment  is  also  that  of  St.  Eiilarius,  (Hilar.de  Trim,  lib.  vi.  Oper., 
p.  903,  Paris.  1693;)  and  appears  to  have  been  shared  by  Cyril  of 
Jerusalem.  (Cyril.  Catech.xi.  p. 93,  Paris,  1631.)  Origen  himself, 
who  in  (  ne  of  his  writings  takes  the  "  rock"  for  the  person  of  Peter, 
explains  himself  elsewhere  in  very  different  terms:  '-'The  rock  is 
every  disciple  of  Christ.  If  thou  believest  that  God  has  built  his 
whole  church  on  Peter, and  on  Peter  alone,  what  becomes  of  John, 
tlie  son  of  thunder,  and  the  rest  of  the  apostles?  Dare  you  assert 
that  the  gates  of  hell  shall  not  prevail  against  Peter  in  particular ; 
but  that  they  shall  prevail  against  the  other  apostles,  and  against 
the  most  accomplished  Christians  ?  (t,:>v  reXeiuf.)  Is  it  not  for  all 
the  apostles,  for  each  of  them,  that  it  has  been  said,  '  The  gates  of 
lull  shall  not  prevail  against  it  V  And  again,  l  On  this  rock  will  I 
build  my  church  V  The  keys  of  the  kingdom  of  heaven,  have  they 
been  given  to  Peter  alone?  And  ought  none  of  the  other  disciples 
to  receive  them?"  (Orig.,  Comment,  in  Matt.  torn.  xii.  Oper., 
vol.  i.  p.  275. 

13* 


150  INTERPRETATION 

by  all  the  four.*  But  of  St.  Peter  being  constituted 
the  vicar  of  Christ,  of  a  supremacy  in  the  apostleship, 
the\e  is  not  a  word.  Besides,  this  supremacy  is  po- 
sitively contradicted  by  the  history  of  the  Acts,  where 
we  see  St.  Paul  occupying  a  rank  at  least  as  high  as 
that  of  St.  Peter ;  and  by  the  Epistles,  where  we 
hear  the  same  St.  Paul  declare,  that  he  is  "  not  a 
whit  behind  the  very  chiefest  apostles,"  2  Cor.  xi.  5  ; 
and  that  he  "  withstood  Peter  to  the  face"  on  one 
occasion,  "because  he  was  to  be  blamed,"  Gal.  ii.  11. 

But  even  should  it  be  true,  that  St.  Peter  was  the 
vicar  of  Christ,  this  would  prove  much  for  St.  Peter, 
but  nothing  for  the  Abbe's  theory.  He  can  only 
support  it  by  adding  to  his  text  two  points,  which 
you  I  am  sure  will  never  perceive  there  :  first,  that 
St.  Peter  was  bishop  of  Rome  ;  secondly,  that  he 
transmitted  his  powers  to  his  successors.  And  this 
is  what  they  call  proving  a  thing  from  the  Bible  !  In 
vain  your  argument  places  one  foot  on  this  rock  of 
ages  ;  whilst  the  other  rests  on  empty  space  ;  it  must 
inevitably  fall. 

"  St.  Peter  was  bishop  of  Rome !"  We  cannot 
even  ascertain  whether  he  ever  was  at  Rome.  Some 
of  the  fathers  affirm  this,  others  deny  it.  But  ob- 
serve, madam,  even  those  who  attest  that  St.  Peter 
visited  Rome,  are  not  agreed  as  to  whether  he  was 
bishop  of  that  city.  Thus,  according  to  St.  Irenaeus, 
St.  Peter  founded  the  church  of  Rome,  with  St.  Paul, 
but  was  .not  its  first  bishop  ;  the  first  bishop  of  Rome 
was  Linus. f  This  remark  suffices  to  overthrow  the 
whole  of  the  Abbe's  scaffolding,  if  you  will  allow  me 
such  an  expression. 

And  then,  if  St  Peter  had  been  bishop  of  Rome, 
would  it  follow  that  his  successors  must  inherit  all 


*  Matt.  xvi.  ;  Mark  viii. ;  Luke  ix. ;  John  vi. 

f  According  to  the  Apostolic  Constitutions,  likewise,  (lib.  vii. 
c.46^  they  say,  in  so  many  words,  that  "  St.  Paul  ordained  Linus 
first  Li.shop  of  the  church  of  the  Romans." 


OF    THE    BIHLE.  151 

his  powers?    This  transmission  !  one  would  imagine 
it  to  be  so  simple  a  thing,  that   it  is  ool  even  a< 
sary  to  prove  it;  and, in  fact, there  is  nol  the  Bhadow 

of  a  proof  in  its  favor.  St.  James  was,  according  to 
tht>  unanimous  testimony  of  antiquity,  the  first  bishop 
of  Jerusalem;  did  his  authority  pass  to  his  succes- 
sors? In  truth,  madam,  had  there  been  a  succession 
of  the  nature  of  thai  which  the  Abbe  has  supposed, 
on  the  faith  of  so  many  others,  one  might  much  ra- 
ther have  expected  it  for  the  church  of  Jerusalem, 
than  for  that  of  Rome.  For  the  church  of  Jerusalem 
had  the  double  privilege  of  being  the  first  that  was 
founded  ;  whence  it  was  called,  by  a  general  council, 
"the  mother  of  all  the  churches  ;"*  and  that  of  hav- 
ing incontestably  had  an  apostle  for  its  bishop.f 

One  grows  weary  of  combating  such  vain  imagina- 
tions. To  sum  up,  madam :  in  order  to  agree  with 
the  Abbe,  you  must  admit,  without  Scripture  proof, 
that  Sit.  Peter  was  Christ's  vicar ;  without  historical 
proof,  and  contrary  to  the  most  authentic  traditions, 
that  he  was  bishop  of  Rome  ;  and  without  rational  or 

*  That  of  Constantinople,  (Epist.  Synod.  Concil.  Constant,  ad 
Damas.  apud  Theodoret.,  Hist.  Eccl.,  lit),  v.  cap.  9.) 

f  The  pretended  transmission  of  St.  Peter's  power  is  very  se- 
verely judged  by  one  of  the  fathers,  who  grants  the  greatest  privi- 
leges to  this  apostle  ;  and  in  a  passage  where  he  shows  that,  in  his 
opinion,  "  the  rock"  signifies  the  person  of  St.  Peter,  in  Matt.  xvi. 
IS,  Tertnllian  thus  expresses  himself,  (De  Pudic,  p.  767,  768,) 
when  addressing  the  bishop  of  Rome,  who  laid  claim  to  supremacy 
in  the  church,  as  being  the  successor  of  St.  Peter  :—  "  What !  be- 
cause the  Lord  said  to  Peter,  '  On  this  rock  I  will  build  my  church  ; 
I  will  give  unto  thee  the  keys  of  the  kingdom  of  heaven  ;  what- 
soever thou  shalt  hind  on  earth  shall  be  bound  in  heaven  ;  and 
whatsoever  thou  shalt  loose  on  earth  shall  be  loosed  in  heaven  ;' 
thou  imaginest  that  this  power  has  descended  to  thi  e  ;  that  is  to 
say,  to  the  neighboring  church  of  St.  Peter!  (Petri  propinquam.) 
Who  art  thou,  thus  to  change  and  overturn  the  will  of  the  Lord, 
which  was  manifestly  to  confer  this  privilege  on  St.  Peter  person- 
ally? For  he  said,  On  thee  will  I  build  my  church ;  I  will  give 
thee  the  keys:  and  all  that  thou  shalt  bind  and  loose;  ool  that 
they  shall  bind  and  Loose."  (Super  te,  inquit,  sedificaho  eccle&iam 
meam,  et  titri  dabo  claves  ;  et  quaecumque  solver  is  wl  alligaveris, 
non  quae  solverint  vel  alligaverint.) 


152  INTERPRETATION 

any  other  kind  of  proof,  that  his  power  has  passed 
from  hand  to  hand,  to  all  the  bishops  of  this  church. 
And  this  laborious  argumentation,  endlessly  compli- 
cated by  suppositions  on  Scripture,  suppositions  on 
history,  suppositions  on  the  designs  of  God,  must  be 
the  support  of  your  eternal  hopes  !  A  moving  sand, 
a  fleeting  cloud,  must  be  the  rock  of  your  salvation ! 
But  if  the  infallibility  of  the  Roman  Catholic  church 
remains  improved  by  Scripture,  that  does  not  disturb 
the  Abbe.  It  suffices  him  that  Scripture  clearly 
proves  the  existence  of  an  infallible  church  in  gene- 
ral. This  is  hardly  sufficient,  in  my  estimation ;  but 
is  even  this  borne  out  by  Scripture  ?  Let  us  ex- 
amine. 

It  would  be  tedious  to  consider  all  the  passages 
quoted  by  the  Abbe,  in  proof  of  the  existence  of  an 
infallible  church.  Let  us  confine  ourselves  to  those 
to  which  he  most  confidently  appeals. 

There  is,  according  to  the  New  Testament,  a 
church,  which  is  "  the  pillar  and  ground  of  the 
truth  ;*  with  which  the  Saviour  will  be  present,  even 
to  the  end  of  the  world  ;  and  against  which  the  gates 
of  hell  shall  not  prevail."  Truly,  these  are  glorious 
promises,  which  ought  to  fill  the  Christian's  heart 
with  joy.  But  do  they  imply  an  infallible  church  ? 
By  no  means.  We  must  here  repeat  the  two  reflec- 
tions which  we  have  already  made  on  similar  ex- 
pressions in  the  fathers.  There  is  no  question  here 
of  a  determinate  church,  but  of  the  church  of  God  in 
general ;  and  the  Lord  promises  to  render  this  church 
not  infallible,  but  faithful.  It  suffices  for  the  fulfil- 
ment of  this  promise,  that  the  Lord  should  always 
reserve  to  himself  upon  earth  a  church  which  pre- 
serves the   essentials   of  the    Christian   faith ;    this 

*  It  is  worthy  of  remark,  that  St.  Irenaeus  uses  the  same  terms, 
in  speaking  of  the  writings  of  the  apostles  :  ;*  In  Scripturis  nobis 
tradiderunt  fundamentum  et  coJumnam  fidei  nostras  futurum."— 
Adv.  Haer.  lib.  ill.  c.  i.  p.  169. 


OF    THE     BIBLE.  153 

church  may  be  composed  of  members  belonging  to 

more  than  one  particular  church,     [n  other  terms,  th< 
religion  of  Christ  will  never  perish  in  the  hearts  of 

men  ;  it  will  always  be  preserved  in  one  or  another  of 
the  branches  of  the  great  ( Jhristian  church.  This  sen- 
timent has  been  well  expressed  by  Tostatus  d'Avila, 
who  himself  belonged  to  the  Romish  church.  "  The 
universal  church  never  errs,  because  it  never  errs  in 
all  its  branches."*  This  is  what  God  has  promised ; 
this  is  what  has  hitherto  been  performed,  even  at  the 
worst  periods  ;  and  this  will  be  the  case  to  the  end 
of  time.  But  between  this  and  an  infallible  tribunal, 
established  for  the  interpretation  of  the  Scriptures, 
there  is  a  vast  difference. 

But,  says  the  Abbe,  in  the  following  passages, 
there  must  indeed  be  a  determinate  church,  the  in- 
fallibility of  which  Christ  guaranties  ;  there  must 
indeed  be  successors  to  the  apostles,  to  whose  deci- 
sions we  ought  implicitly  to  yield  : — "  Whatsoever 
thou  shalt  bind  on  earth  shall  be  bound  in  heaven  : 
and  whatsoever  thou  shalt  loose  on  earth  shall  be 
loosed  in  heaven.  Whosesoever  sins  ye  remit,  they 
are  remitted  unto  them  ;  and  whosesoever  sins  ye 
retain,  they  are  retained."  No,  madam,  there  is  no 
question  here  of  successors  to  the  apostles,  still  less 
of  infallible  successors.  A  single  remark  will  suffice 
to  overthrow  this  interpretation.  "  He  who  proves 
too  much,  proves  nothing,"  says  the  proverb.  If  we 
were  to  admit  the  Abbe's  interpretation,  these  two 
passages  would  prove  nothing  less  than* the  infallible 
authority  of  every  disciple  of  Christ.     For  read  wThat 

*  Elsewhere  this  same  writer  gives  a  very  remarkable  develop- 
ment of  this  idea  : — "  The  Latin  church  is  not  the  universal  church, 
it  is  but  a  certain  portion  of  it :  whence  it  follows,  that  even  sup- 
posing the  Latin  church  had  erred  throughout,  the  universal  church 
would  not  have  erred  on  that  account.  For  the  universal  church 
always  remains  in  its  branches  which  do  not  err,  whether  they  be 
or  be  not  in  greater  number  than  those  which  err.''  (Tostat. 
Abulens,  Praef.  in  Matt.,  qusest.  xiii. ;  id.  quaest.  iv.  in  Matt.,  ad 
proleg.  2.)     This  author  lived  in  the  fifteenth  century. 


104  INTERPRETATION 

follows  the  former  quotation.  After  having  said, 
Matt,  xviii.  18,  "Whatsoever  ye  shall  bind,"  etc., 
Jesus  Christ  immediately  adds,  "  Again  I  say  unto 
you,  That  if  two  of  you  shall  agree  on  earth  as 
.touching  any  thing  that  they  shall  ask,  it  shall  be 
done  for  them  of  my  Father  which  is  in  heaven. 
For  where  two  or  three  are  gathered  together  in  my 
name,  there  am  I  in  the  midst  of  them."  This  is 
evidently  a  consecutive  discourse,  the  whole  of  which 
is  addressed  to  the  same  persons  ;  and  it  is  evident, 
from  the  last  words  I  have  just  quoted,  that  these 
persons  are  simple  believers.  As  to  the  second  quo- 
tation, "  Whosesoever  sins  ye  remit,"  etc.,  you  have 
only  to  compare  the  chapter  from  St.  John,  in  which 
it  is  found,  (John  xx.  19 — 23,)  with  the  Gospel  ac- 
cording to  St.  Luke,  (xxiv.  36 — 49,)  to  pereeive  that 
these  two  passages  refer  to  one  and  the  same  con- 
versation between  our  Lord  and  his  disciples  ;  and 
that  on  this  occasion  he  spoke  not  only  to  his  disci- 
ples, but  also  "  to  them  that  were  with  them,"  Luke 
xxiv.  33.  Lastly,  in  a  corresponding  passage  in  the 
Psalms,  where  there  is  question  of  binding  their 
kings,  and  executing  upon  them  the  judgment  written, 
Ps.  cxlix.  8,  9,  it  is  expressly  added,  "  This  honor 
have  all  his  saints." 

I  do  not  deny,  that  the  promise  in  question  was  in- 
tended, in  the  first  place,  for  the  apostles ;  nor  that  it 
belongs  to  them  in  a  special  sense :  but  it  is  certain, 
from  the  proofs  I  have  just  given,  that  it  also  has  a 
more  extensive  acceptation,  according  to  which  it  ap- 
plies to  every  true  disciple  of  Christ.  What,  then, 
is  the  meaning  of  this  promise  ?  I  cannot  explain  it 
without  anticipating  what  1  shall  have  to  say  in  speak- 
ing of  the  gift  of  the  Holy  Ghost,  with  which  it  is 
closely  connected.  This  is  very  evident  from  St. 
John's  Gospel,  where  it  immediately  follows  the 
promise  of  the  Holy  Ghost.  "  He  breathed  on  them, 
and  saith  unto  them,  Receive  ye  the  Holy  Ghost  • 


OF    THE    BIRLE.  155 

whosesoever  sins  ye  remit,  they  are  remitted  unto 
them ;  and  whosesoever  sins  ye  retain,  they  are  retain- 
ed." I  will  now  express  myself  very  briefly  on  this 
subject.  My  next  letter  will  contain  a  fuller  explana- 
tion of  my  meaning. 

When  Christ  was  upon  earth,  and  when  he  ad- 
dressed to  the  sinner  these  consoling  words,  "  Thy 
sins  are  forgiven  thee,"  this  sinner  could  say,  "  It  is 
the  Lord  who  gives  me  this  assurance  of  pardon." 
But  when  Christ  was  no  longer  here  below,  what 
man,  what  teacher,  what  apostle  could  assure  us  of 
forgiveness  ?  What  will  become  of  the  church  of 
God  ?  Will  it  be  reduced  to  endless  uncertainty  ? 
And  will  it  have  unceasingly  to  regret  that  the  voice 
of  Christ  is  no  more  heard  ?  It  is  to  this  important 
question  that  the  Saviour  replies  in  the  promise  which 
now  occupies  us.  He  is  about  to  depart ;  J?ut  he  will 
not  leave  his  children  comfortless.  His  Spirit  will 
remain  with  them,  and  will  speak  to  them. 

The  Holy  Ghost  will  speak,  in  the  first  instance, 
by  the  apostles.  He  will  impart  to  them  supernatural 
and  miraculous  gifts,  which  will  be  theirs  alone,  and 
which  will  render  them  infallible  teachers  of  divine 
truth.  Doubtless,  they  will  not,  like  Christ,  reconcile 
the  sinner  with  God  ;  but  they  will  announce,  with 
the  authority  of  Christ,  the  word  of  reconciliation. 
Thus,  when  they  say,  "  Believe  on  the  Lord  Jesus 
Christ,  and  thou  shalt  be  saved,"  they  may  be  listen- 
ed to  with  as  much  confidence  as  the  Saviour  him- 
self ;  and  the  poor  jailer  of  Philippi,  who  heard  none 
other  than  St.  Paul,  might  be  as  certain  of  his  salva- 
tion as  the  paralytic  of  Bethesda,  who  had  heard  Je- 
sus Christ  himself. 

The  same  Spirit  will  also  speak  by  every  true  dis- 
ciple of  Christ.  Having  received  in  their  hearts  the 
grace  announced  by  the  apostles  ;  confiding  in  the  in- 
spired and  infallible  writers  of  the  gospel,  as  these 
writers  confided  in  their  Divine  Master ;  those  who 


156  INTERPRETATION, 

are  neither  inspired  nor  infallible,  will  say  in  their 
turn,  "  Believe  in  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  and  thou 
shalt  be  saved  ;"  and  they  will  say  it  with  as  much 
confidence  as  the  apostles  themselves.  0,  marvellous 

virtue  of  the  word  of  God,  and  of  the  Spirit  of  God ! 
O,  true  successors,  not  of  the  apostles,  but  of  Christ 
himself!  It  is  by  this  that,  not  only  a  St.  Paul  be- 
fore Festus  and  Agrippa,  but  a  simple  confessor,  of 
Jesus — a  John  Huss  before  the  council  of  Constance 
— the  most  obscure  Christian  before  the  world,  remits 
and  retains  sins,  binds  and  looses,  opens  and  shuts 
the  kingdom  of  heaven,  the  keys  of  which  he  holds 
in  his  hands  ! 

Our  promise,  then,  in  one  sense,  concerns  the 
apostles ;  in  another  sense,  it  concerns  every  believer  ; 
but  in  no  sense  does  it  concern  the  successors  of  the 
apostles.  Qr  rather,  the  apostles,  as  apostles,  neither 
have,  nor  can  have,  any  successors,  any  more  than 
the  prophets.  As  believers,  all  believers  are  their 
successors.  A  body  of  teachers  and  priests  who  in- 
herit the  infallible  authority  of  the  apostles,  is  no- 
where to  be  found  in  Scripture.  When  Christ  said, 
"  I  am  with  you  alway,  even  to  the  end  of  the  world," 
it  is  not  only  with  you,  apostles,  I  agree  ;  it  is  also 
with  you,  believers  of  every  age  :  but  where  is  it 
said,  that  it  is  with  you,  priests,  successors  of  the 
apostles  ? 

Distrust  these  associations  of  ideas,  which  pervert, 
the  meaning  of  the  Bible,  under  pretence  of  com- 
pleting it.  When  the  Abbe  reads,  "  He  that  heareth 
you  heareth  me,"  he  immediately  infers  that  the 
priests  must  be  heard ;  but  Jesus  Christ  spoke  not  of 
them.  It  must  be  ascertained  to  whom  the  you  in  the 
text  refers :  now,  it  applies  either  to  the  apostles,  or 
to  every  believer.  The  priests  have  no  more  right  to 
rest  their  claims  on  this  passage,  than  I  should  have 
to  imagine  I  should  be  king  of  Israel,  because  it  is 
written,  "  Thou  shalt  be  king  over  Israel."     It  has, 


OF    THE    BIBLF.  157 

indeed,  been  said  ;  bul  to  SolomoD,  no1  to  me.  Whal 
the  Abbe  quotes,  lias  likewise  been  said  ;  bul   uol  to 

the  priests,  who  are  not  named  in  his  texts,  and  who 
are  everywhere  introduced  by  means  oi  this  slighl 
addition,  alter  the  word  "apostles,'*  and  their  .succes- 
sors: an  addition  with  which  it  has  apparently  no 
connexion,  and  which  entirely  alters  the  meaning  of 
these  promises.  There  is  but  one  way  by  which  the 
pretended  successors  of  the  apostles  may  enjoy  thes< 
promises;  it  is  by  humbly  confounding  themselves 
with  the  believers  to  whom  they  are  made. 

The  reconciliation  belongs  to  the  Lord  alone  ;  the 
inspired  word  of  reconciliation,  to  the  apostles;  the 
word  which  binds  and  looses,  to  all.  Once  more  I 
repeat,  "This  honor  have  all  his  saints.''  In  all  this 
there  is  nothing  infallible,  but  the  Lord,  his  Spirit, 
and  his  word.* 

It  is  time  to  conclude,  madam.  They  undertake 
to  prove  to  you  from  Scripture,  that,  instead  of  read- 
ing for  yourself,  you  ought  to  rely  on  the  interpreta- 
tion of  an  infallible  tribunal  :  a  fundamental  doctrine, 
and  one  as  to  which  you  have  a  right  to  require  the 
most  decisive  testimony.  And  what  do  they  show 
you  ?  Of  passages  which  interdict  the  reading  of  the 
Bible,  not  one.  Of  passages  which  establish  the  in- 
fallible tribunal,  to  which  they  pretend  you  ought  to 
yield,  not  one.  There  remains  nothing  but  five  or 
six  declarations,  isolated  from  their  context,  arbitrarily 
explained,  more  arbitrarily  applied ;  and  from  these 
they  draw  remote  and  most  unwarrantable  inductions. 

♦The  council  of  Jerusalem,  cited  by  the  Abbe  Favien,  proves 
nothing  more,  in  favor  of  councils,  than  the  promise  of  binding  and 
loosing,  in  favor  of  the  priests.  The  council  of  Jerusalem  was 
presided  over  by  the  apostles.  What!  because  this  council  could 
say,  ''  It  seemed  good  to  the  Holy  Ghost  and  lo  u>,''  does  it  fol- 
low that  the  council  of  Constance,  or  any  other,  composed,  per- 
haps, of  bishops  destitute  of  piety,  and  presided  over  by  a  pope 
unworthy  of  the  name  of  Christian,  may  say  so  with  an  equal 
right. 

14 


158  INTERPRETATION 

Does  this  suffice  you  ?  Will  you  risk  thereon  the 
salvation  of  your  soul  ?     Pause  and  reflect. 

For  myself,  I  do  not  hesitate  to  say,  and  you  may 
make  the  trial,  with  such  a  method  of  interpretation, 
I  engage  to  find  in  the  Bible  whatever  you  will. 
Name  any  system  you  like,  religious  or  philosophical, 
Plato,  Aristotle,  Spinosa,  Mohammed,  in  short,  what- 
ever you  choose,  I  will  find  it  in  the  Bible,  by  the 
Abbe's  process  of  interpretation :  a  process  of  which  his 
prejudiced  mind  cannot  see  the  full  bearing.  What 
do  I  say  ?  What  I  engage  to  do  has  been  done  ;  and, 
what  is  more,  has  been  done  for  St.  Simonism.  Yes, 
madam,  even  this  immoral,  impious,  and  anti-chris- 
tian  doctrine,  has  sought  support  in  the  Bible,  and 
has  found  it  there.  You  must  remember,  that  the 
St.  Simonian  preachers  willingly  quoted  the  Bible, 
and  quoted  it  sometimes  in  so  specious  a  manner,  as 
to  surprise  persons  who  only  knew  it  from  these  ci- 
tations. Alter  this,  who  would  despair,  no  matter 
what  may  be  his  opinions,  of  giving  them  some  ap- 
pearance of  conformity  with  the  Holy  Scriptures  ? 

Ah  !  thus  to  employ  the  word  of  God,  is  not  to  use, 
but  to  abuse  it.  Let  us  tremble  at  the  thought  of 
wresting  from  this  holy  book  a  forced  testimony  in 
favor  of  a  doctrine  already  fixed  upon,  and  derived 
from  our  own  invention.  Let  us  rather  listen  to  it 
with  the  deepest  humility,  and  receive  the  doctrine 
which  God  has  taught  there,  whatever  it  may  be. 
Then  only  shall  we  treat  the  Bible  with  the  respect 
which  is  its  due  ;  but  then,  madam,  we  shall  find  the 
right  secured,  or  rather  prescribed,  to  each  believer, 
of  reading  it  himself,  with  prayer  for  the  aid  of  the 
Holy  Spirit,  to  enable  him  to  comprehend  it. 


OF    THE    BIBLE.  159 

LETTER  XIII. 

mi:.  MERCIES   TO  ltvilla. 

Continuation  of  the  Third  Proof— The  Bible  written  for  all. 

Is  taking  up  my  pen  to-day,  for  the  purpose  of 
showing  you,  from  the  Bible  thai  God  permits  you, 
that  he  commands  you  to  read  it  ;  I  feel  no  other  em- 
barrassment than  what  arises  from  the  clearness,  the 
abundance  of  my  evidence.  It  is  with  my  subject 
almost  as  it  is  with  the  existep.ee  of  God,  which  the 
Bible  no  where  establishes,  because  it  is  everywhere 
supposed.  Why  should  it  declare  that  it  must  be 
read,  when  it  was  only  written  to  that  end  ?  All  that 
I  can  do,  is  to  choose  several  passages  in  which  this 
general  tendency  shows  itself,  if  possible,  more  clear- 
ly than  elsewhere.  But  it  is  not  to  forced  interpre- 
tations, to  consequences  laboriously  deduced,  that  I 
am  about  to  appeal;  it  is  to  simple  declarations,  taken 
in  the  first  sense  in  which  they  present  themselves 
to  the  mind  of  a  simple  man.  Of  this  you  shall  your- 
self judge. 

Let  us  begin  with  the  Old  Testament.  Under  this 
first  economy,  inferior  to  ours  in  light  and  liberty, 
what  use  were  the  people  to  make  of  the  word  of 
God? 

Moses,  the  most  ancient  among  the  prophets,,  will 
reply,  Dent.  xxxi.  9 — 13:  "And  Moses  wrote  this 
law,  and  delivered  it  unto  the  priests  the  sons  of 
Levi,  which  bare  the  ark  of  the  covenant  of  the 
Lord,  and  unto  all  the  elders  cf  Israel.  And  Moses 
commanded  them,  saying,  At  the  end  of  every  seven 
years,  in  the  solemnity  of  the  year  of  release,  in  the 
feast  of  tabernacles,  when  all  Israel  is  come  to  appear 
before  the  Lord  thy  God  in  the  place  which  he  shall 
choose,  thou  shalt  read  this  law  before  all  Israel  in 


160  INTERPRETATION 

their  hearing.  Gather  the  people  together,  men,  and 
women,  and  children,  and  thy  Btranger  that  is  within 
thy  gates,  thai  they  may  hear,  and  that  they  may 
learn,  and  fear  the  Lord  your  God,  and  observe  to  do 
all  the  words  of  this  law  :  and  thai  their  children, 
which  have  not  known  anything,  may  hear,  and  learn 
to  fear  the  Lord  your  God,  as  long  as  ye  live  in  the 
land  whither  ye  go  over  Jordan  to  possess  it."*  This 
law  inns!  he  read  every  seven  years,  to  all  the  people, 
men,  women,  and  children  ;  simply  read,  there  is  no 
mention  made  of  its  interpretation  ;  read  entirely,  not 
partially  ;  read  in  order,  that  those  who  heard  it 
might  learn  to  fear  the  Lord  their  God.  So  salutary 
is  this  reading. 

But  this  book,  the  Abbe  tells  you,  "  was  confided 
to  the  care  of  the  priests."  This  is  true  ;  the  book 
which  Moses  had  written  with  his  own  hand,  was 
intrusted  to  them.  It  was  necessary  that  it  should 
be  delivered  to  some  one  ;  and  to  whom  could  it  be 
more  appropriately  given  than  to  the  men  whose  office 
obliged  them  to  read  it  to  the  people,  and  to  watch 
over  the  preservation  of  the  sacred  text?  But 
between  placing  the  original  copy  of  the  law  in  the 
hands  of  the  priests,  and  giving  up  to  them  every 
succeeding  copy  that  might  be  made,  there  is  a 
mighty  difference.  We  must  not  forget  that  books 
were  very  rare  at  this  period,  when  they  were  writ- 
ten by  the  hand,  with  great  labor.  From  that  time 
the  precations  of  Moses  were  dictated  by  necessity  ;f 
and  they  are  no  authority  for  restraining  the  use  of 
the  holy  volume  in  our  more  favored  times,  when  it  is 
accessible   to   all.      Nothing  here   indicates   an   ex- 


*  See  also  Josh.  viii.  35. 

f  Notwithstanding  these  precautions,  the  book  of  the  law  had 
been  lor  a  long  time  lo.st,  when  it  was  found  by  Hilkiah,  at  the  re- 
paration of  the  temole  by  the  order  of  kins  Josifth.  What  would 
have  become  of  it,  had  it  not  been  confidedto  the  priests, and  kept 
in  the  temple  ?     Is  it  not  probable  that  it  woidd  have  perished? 


OF    THE    BIBLE.  161 

elusive  deposit,  nor  a  right  of  interpretation  ;  nor, 
above  all,  a  guarantee  of  infallible  interpretation. 

Let  us,  however,  finish  the  verse.  You  see  that 
Moses  has  taken  care  to  prevenl  the  false  explanation 
which  the  Abbe  gives  of  his  meaning.  For  it  is  not 
to  the  priests  alone  that  he  confided  the  book  of  the 
law  ;  it  is  "  to  the  priests  and  to  all  the  elders  of 
Israel."  The  Abbe,  doubtless,  quoted  from  memory  ; 
so  that  he  has  overlooked  this  latter  clause.  Now, 
the  elders  were  heads  of  families,  men  of  every  pro- 
fession, and  of  every  tribe.  It  was  then,  in  reality, 
to  the  representatives  of  the  entire  people  that  the  law 
was  delivered,  to  be  read  to  the  whole  nation. 

"  But  it  was  only  to  be  read  every  seven  years !" 
This  is  not  said.  They  were  enjoined  to  read  it  in 
public  at  least  once  in  seven  years,  in  order  that 
every  Israelite  might  have  several  opportunities  of 
hearing  it  in  the  course  of  his  life.  But  that  did  not 
prevent  the  guardians  of  the  law  from  reading  it  more 
frequently  to  the  people,  nor  private  persons  from 
reading  it  in  their  houses,  if  they  possessed  a  copy. 
As  to  the  public  reading,  we  see,  in  effect,  that  it 
took  place  under  many  other  circumstances.  It  was 
always  the  first  means  adopted  by  pious  men,  when 
they  endeavored  to  revive  the  piety  of  the  nation : 
either  kings,  such  as  Jehoshaphat,  2  Chron.  xvii.  9 ; 
and  Josiah,  2  Chron.  xxxiv.  30,  31  ;  or  prophets, 
such  as  Ezra  and  Nehemiah.  Neh.  viii.  2,  3,  7,  8.* 
But  especially  remark  the  account  given  by  Jeremiah, 
of  the  reading  of  his  prophecies  before  the  people  by 
Baruch,  his  scribe.  Baruch  read  this  book  to  all 
classes  of  society  successively :  to  the  multitude,  to 
the  magistrates,  and,  lastly,  to  the  king  and  his  ser- 
vants. It  was  a  simple  reading  ;  and  this  reading 
was  so  well  understood,  that  it  moved  the  whole 
court.     The  princes  were  afraid,   and  the   king  so 

*  In  this  instance  the  reading  of  the  law  is  followed  by  an  ex- 
planation given  by  the  Levites.    There  were  reading  and  preaching. 
14* 


162  INTERPRETATION 

irritated,  that  ho  cut  the  roll  of  Baruch  with  a  pen- 
knife, and  cast  it  into  the  fire. 

Listen  to  the  use  which  the  kings  of  Israel  in  par- 
ticular were  enjoined  to  make  of  the  holy  volume. 
"  And  it  shall  be,  when  he  Bitteth  upon  the  throne  of 
his  kingdom,  that  he  shall  write  him  a  copy  of  this 
law  in  a  book  out  of  that  which  is  before  the  priests 
the  Levites.  And  it  shall  be  with  him,  and  he  shall 
read  therein  all  the  days  of  his  life  :  that  he  may 
learn  to  fear  the  Lord  his  God,  to  keep  all  the  words 
of  this  law  and  these  statutes  to  do  them  :  that  his 
heart  be  not  lifted  up  above  his  brethren,  and  that  he 
turn  not  aside  from  the  commandment,  to  the  right 
hand,  or  to  the  left :  to  the  end  that  he  may  prolong 
his  days  in  his  kingdom,  he,  and  his  children,  in  the 
midst  of  Israel,"  Deut.  xvii.  18 — 20.  Would  kings 
have  been  less  subject  than  the  rest  of  mankind  to 
the  authority  of  this  infallible  tribunal,  had  one  ex- 
isted? It  is  not  thus,  madam,  that  it  is  customarily 
taught  ;  and  they  would  be  hardly  disposed,  I  think, 
to  dispense  with  their  obedience  on  this  point  of  the 
general  law.  Here  we  see  the  kings  of  Israel 
obliged  to  write  with  their  own  hand  a  copy  of  the 
law,  and  to  read  it  every  day  of  their  lives  ;  and  why  ? 
because  this  reading  will  teach  them  to  fear  God,  and 
to  keep  his  commandments.  If  it  teaches  this  to 
kings,  will  it  not  teach  it  to  private  individuals  ? 

Here,  again,  the  beautiful  exhortation  addressed  by 
Moses  to  Joshua,  who  was  not  a  priest,  nor  even  a 
member  of  the  tribe  chosen  for  the  service  of  the  tab- 
ernacle. "  This  book  of  the  law  shall  not  depart 
out  of  thy  mouth  ;  but  thou  shalt  meditate  therein  day 
and  night,  that  thou  mayest  observe  to  do  according 
to  all  that  is  written  therein  :  for  then  thou  shalt  make 
thy  way  prosperous,  and  then  thou  shalt  have  good 
success,"  Josh.  i.  8.  A  governor,  the  general  of  an 
army,  ought  to  meditate  day  and  night  in  the  law  of 
God  ,  and  it  is  this  which  shall  make  his  way  pros- 


OF    THE    BIBLE.  163 

perous  :  and  why  should  not  every  other  believer  ;ip- 
ply  to  himself  this  commandment,  and  this  promise  ! 

It  is  not  surprising  thai  the  instruction  of  those  who 
exercise  the  first  offices  in  the  state  should  be  spe- 
cially provided  for  ;  but  we  cannot  conceive  that  this 
should  be  to  the  exclusion  of  others. 

However,  we  are  not  reduced  to  simple  inductions. 
The  same  recommendation  which  was  made  to  Joshua, 
we  here  find,  almost  word  for  word,  addressed  to  all, 
and  accompanied  by  the  same  promise  :  "  Blessed  is 
the  man  that  walketh  not  in  the  counsel  of  the  un 
godly,  or  standeth  in  the  way  of  sinners,  nor  sitteth 
in  the  seat  of  the  scornful,  lint  his  delight  is  in  the 
law  of  the  Lord  ;  and  in  his  law  doth  he  meditate  day 
and  night.  And  he  shall  be  like  a  tree  planted  by  the 
rivers  of  water,  that  bringeth  forth  his  fruit  in  his  sea- 
son ;  his  leaf  also  shall  not  wither;  and  whatsoever 
he  doeth  shall  prosper,"  Psa.  i.  1-3.  You  see,  ma- 
dam, that  which  essentially  characterizes  the  godly 
man,  that  which  distinguishes  him  from  the  wicked, 
that  which  ensures  the  blessing  of  God  on  all  his  un- 
dertakings, is  precisely  that  from  which  they  seek  to 
turn  you ;  reading  and  meditating  upon  the  word  of 
God.  I  confess,  that  if  the  Abbe  could  have  quoted 
a  single  passage  of  Scripture,  where  the  obligation  of 
yielding  to  a  visible  tribunal  was  as  clearly  establish- 
ed as  the  right  of  reading  it  one's  self  is  in  this, 
the  obligation  would  be  better  proved  than  it  is  by  his 
three  arguments  united,  even  with  all  their  accessary 
considerations. 

As  time  advances,  and  as  God's  people  obtain  more 
light,  we  see  the  reading  of  the  Bible  more  recom- 
mended, and  more  general.  After  what  I  have  just 
shown  you,  it  will  suffice  for  me  rapidly  to  indicate  a 
few  other  testimonies  from  the  Old  Testament.  The 
Psalms  (and  how  should  we  wonder  at  it,  after  such 
a  commencement  ?)  are  full  of  this  doctrine.  "  The 
law  of  the  Lord  is  perfect,  converting  the  soul ;  the 


164  INTERPRETATION 

testimony  of  the  Lord  is  sure,  making  wise  the  sim- 
ple. The  statutes  of  the  Lord  are  right,  rejoicing  the 
heart :  the  commandment  of  the  Lord  is  pure,  enlight- 
ening the  eyes,"  Psa.  xix.  7,  8.  But  all  your  doubts 
will  soon  be  dissipated,  madam,  if  you  only  read  Psalm 
cxix.  It  is  so  filled  with  the  praises  of  the  word  of 
God,  that,  among  the  hundred  and  seventy-six  verses 
of  which  it  is  composed,  there  are  not  more  than  four 
or  five  wherein  it  is  not  mentioned,  either  by  one 
name  or  another.  It  is  easy  to  see,  that  the  author 
of  this  Psalm  fully  practised  the  precept  of  Psalm  i. 
Read  some  of  these  verses,  which  breathe  so  ardent 
a  love  for  the  inspired  word  of  the  prophets.  Ought 
that  of  the  apostles,  that  of  the  Son  of  God,  to  be  less 
precious  to  us  ?  "  Wherewithal  shall  a  young  man 
cleanse  his  way  1  by  taking  heed  thereto  according 
to  thy  word.  Thy  word  have  I  hid  in  my  heart, 
that  I  might  not  sin  against  thee.  Open  thou  mine 
eyes,  that  I  may  behold  wondrous  things  out  of  thy 
law.  Thy  testimonies  also  are  my  delight,  and  my 
counsellors.  And  I  will  delight  myself  in  thy  com- 
mandments, which  1  have  loved.  My  hands  also  will 
I  lift  up  unto  thy  commandments,  -which  I  have  loved; 
and  I  will  meditate  in  thy  statutes.  The  law  of  thy 
mouth  is  better  unto  me  than  thousands  of  gold  and 
silver.  Oh  how  love  I  thy  law  !  it  is  my  meditation 
all  the  day.  I  have  more  understanding  than  all  my 
teachers  ;  for  thy  testimonies  are  my  meditation.  I 
understand  more  than  the  ancients,  because  I  keep 
thy  precepts.  How  sweet  are  thy  words  unto  my 
taste  !  yea,  sweeter  than  honey  to  my  mouth  !  Thy 
word  is  a  lamp  unto  my  feet,  and  a  light  unto  my  path. 
The  entrance  of  thy  words  giveth  light ;  it  giveth  un- 
derstanding to  the  simple.  I  prevented  the  dawning 
of  the  morning,  and  cried :  I  hoped  in  thy  word. 
Mine  eyes  prevent  the  night  watches,  that  I  might 
meditate  in  thy  word.  Great  peace  have  they  which 
love  thy  law ;  and  nothing  shall  offend  them." 


OF    THE    BIBLE.  165 

Ah!  madam,  may  the  day  soon  arrive,  when  the 
word  of  God  will  be  to  you  all  that  it  was  to  the 
psalmist  !  Arc  those  indeed  animated  with  the  same 
spirit  as  ho — those  who  suggest  scruples  as  to  the 
reading  of  the  Bible  !  Scruples  as  to  the  reading  of 
the  Bible!  what  a  strange  association  of  ideas!  And 
why  d<>  they  not.  also,  suggest  to  you  scruples  on 
prayer?  No;  this  respectful  distance  at  which  they 
pretend  to  keep  you  from  the  word  of  God,  the  holy 
prophets  knew  it  not.  You  cannot  m  their  estimation, 
approach  it  too  nearly.  Language  seems  to  fail  them 
in  describing  the  strict  intimacy  which  ought  to  exist 
between  it  and  you.  "  Bind  them"  (the  words)  "  upon 
thy  fingers,  write  them  upon  the  table  of  thine  heart. 
And  thou  shalt  bind  them  for  a  sign  upon  thine  hand, 
and 'they  shall  be  as  frontlets  between  thine  eyes. 
And  thou  shalt  write  them  upon  the  posts  of  thy  house, 
and  on  thy  gates.  And  thou  shalt  teach  them  dili- 
gently unto  thy  children,  and  shalt  talk  of  them  when 
thou  sittest  in  thine  house,  and  when  thou  walkest  by 
the  way,  and  when  thou  liest  down,  and  when  thou 
risest  up,"  Prov.  vii.  3  ;  Deut.  vi.  6-8. 

Obey  God,  rather  than  man.  Instead  of  leaving 
the  Bible,  to  listen  to  a  church,  no  matter  what 
church  it  be,  leave  all  the  rest,  to  go  to  the  Bible. 
"  To  the  law  and  to  the  testimony !"  This  fine  ex- 
clamation is  found  in  Isaiah,  (viii.  20 ;)  and  he  adds 
this  warning,  which  ought  to  call  forth  your  most 
serious  reflection  :  "  If  they  speak  not  according  to 
this  word,  it  is  because  there  is  no  light  in  them." 
Yes,  madam,  "  to  the  law  and  to  the  testimony  !" 
This  voice  resounds  from  the  entire  Old  Testament. 
Evidently,  its  believers  were  to  read  and  meditate  on 
the  word  of  God  for  themselves  ;  evidently,  there  was 
no  infallible  tribunal  charged  with  its  explanation. 
And  if  this  tribunal  had  existed,  where  should  we 
seek  it,  but  in  the  solemn  assembly  of  the  scribes  and 
priests  at  Jerusalem  ?     This  assembly  was  so  little 


166  IXTKRPRETATION 

gifted  with  infallibility,  that  it  persecuted  the  proph- 
ets, and  ended  by  crucifying  the  Son  of  God  ! 

After  this,  ought  we  to  expect  to  find  the  reading 
of  the  Bible  restricted  under  the  New  Testament 
Is  it  more  obscure  than  the  Old  ?  Or  has  the 
disciple  of  Christ  less  liberty  than  the  disciple  of 
Moses  ?  But  we  will  leave  the  New  Testament  to 
speak  for  itself. 

I  open  this  holy  volume,  and  in  the  fourth  chaptei 
of  the  first  Gospel,  I  read  that  the  Lord  Jesus,  three 
times  tempted  of  the  devil  in  the  wilderness,  onh 
opposes  to  each  of  these  temptations  a  citation  from 
the  word  of  God,  preceded  by  these  solemn  words, 
"  It  is  written,"  Matt.  iv.  1-10.  Do  you  not  think. 
madam,  that  in  every  circumstance  of  his  life,  but  espe- 
cially on  this  occasion,  Jesus  left  us  an  example,  that 
we  should  follow  his  steps  ?  1  Pet.  ii.  21.  And  that 
we  cannot  find  a  more  powerful  weapon  wherewith 
to  overcome  temptation,  than  this  same,  "  It  is  writ- 
ten ?"  by  means  of  which  Jesus  triumphed.  But 
how  will  you  find,  like  him,  a  special  text,  to  employ 
against  each  special  temptation,  if  you  have  not  that 
exact  knowledge  of  the  Scriptures  which  personal 
study  alone  can  give  ?  Farther  on,  Jesus,  when  in- 
terrogated by  a  teacher  of  the  law,  as  to  what  he 
must  do  to  obtain  eternal  life,  proposes  to  him,  in  his 
turn,  this  question,  "  What  is  written  in  the  law  ? 
how  readest  thou?"  Luke  x.  26.  Suppose,  madam, 
that  it  had  been  addressed  to  you,  how  would  you 
have  replied,  if  you  knew  not  what  is  written  ;  if 
you  did  not  read  ?  Connect  together  these  two  facts 
of  the  Gospel :  "  It  is  written."  This  is  the  weapon 
that  Christ  places  in  your  hands.  "  What  is  written  ?" 
This  is  the  question  which  Christ  proposes  to  you  ; 
and  yet  you  ought  not  to  read  ! 

Let  us  proceed.  Christ  said  to  the  Jews  :  "  Ye 
search  the  Scriptures  ;  for  in  them  ye  think  ye  have 
eternal  life  :  and  they  are  they  which  testify  of  me. 


OF    THE    BIBLE.  167 

And  ye  will  not  come  to  me  thai  ye  mighl  have  life  !" 

John  v.  39.  Christ  here  appeals  to  the  Bible,  as  to 
a  book  which  was  read  by  every  one  ;  he  approves 
of  those  who  road  it ;  and  only  blames  the  Jews  be- 
cause they  had  not  there  Learned  to  recognise  him.* 

l):i  von  know,  madam,  what  is,  according  to  the 
Saviour,  the  foundation  of  all  religions  instruction, 
and  a  foundation  which  suffices  of  itself  alone  ?  It 
is  this  :  "They  have  Moses  and  the  prophets;  let 
thorn  hear  them,"  Luke  xvi.  29.  It  is  Abraham  who 
replies  in  these  terms  to  the  rich  man  in  the  parable. 
The  rich  man  proposes  a  new  means  of  warning  his 
brethren,  by  a  mission  from  the  dead.  It  is  useless, 
replies  Abraham  :  "  They  have  Moses  and  the  pro- 
phets ;  let  them  hear  them.  If  they  hear  not  Moses 
and  the  prophets,  neither  will  they  be  persuaded 
though  one  rose  from  the  dead."  Can  you  imagine 
The  Abbe  thus  summing  up,  in  one  single  declaration, 
the  whole  teaching  of  religion  :  "  They  have  Moses 
and  the  prophets  ;"  or,  still  better,  they  have  the  Gos- 
pel and  the  Epistles  ;  "  let  them  hear  them  ?" 

And  whence  came  the  errors  of  the  Sadducees  1 
"  Ye  do  err,"  said  our  Lord,  "  not  knowing  the  Scrip- 
tures, nor  the  power  of  God,"  Matt.  xxii.  29.  Thus, 
madam,  if  the  reading  of  the  Scriptures  engenders 
heresies,  according  to  the  Abbe  ;  it  is,  on  the  con- 
trary, from  not  knowing  them  that  we  fall  into  error, 
according  to  Christ.  Can  we  doubt  that  He  would 
himself  have  placed  them  in  your  hands,  had  you 
been  able  to  consult  him  personally  ?  Let  us  proceed 
to  the  Acts  of  the  Apostles,  and  to  their  Epistles. 

The  superscription  of  the  Epistles  says  everything 
by  itself  alone.     The  first  is  addressed  "  To  all  that 

*  An  interpretation  has  here  been  followed,  which  differs  from 
the  generality  of  received  versions,  but  which  is  allowed  by  the 
original,  and  which  is  more  in  unison  with  our  Saviour's  argument. 
If  the  common  version  be  preferred,  it  would  furnish  Mr.  Mercier 
with  a  still  stronger  argument,  a  positive  command  to  read  the 
Scriptures. 


168  INTERPRETATION 

be  in  Rome,  beloved  of  God  ;"  the  second,  "  Unto  the 
church  of  God  which  is  at  Corinth ;"  another,  "  To 
all  the  saints  which  are  at  Philippi,  with  the  bishops 
and  deacons."  Assuredly,  the  Epistles  must  have 
been  read  to  all  those  to  whom  they  were  written; 
and  that  was,  as  you  have  just  seen,  to  the  entire 
churches,  to  all  the  saints  ;  that  is,  to  all  the  Chris- 
tians, and  not  to  the  pastors  only.  But  this  does  not 
suflice  the  apostles  ;  they  insist  again,  at  the  conclu- 
sion of  some  of  their  letters,  that  they  should  be  read 
of  all :  "  And  when  this  epistle  is  read  among  you, 
cause  that  it  be  read  also  in  the  church  of  the  Laodi- 
ceans  ;  and  that  ye  likewise  read  the  epistle  from 
Laodicea,"  Col.  iv.  16.  "I  charge  you  by  the  Lord 
that  this  epistle  be  read  unto  all  the  holy  brethren," 
1  Thess.  v.  27. 

In  the  seventeenth  chapter  of  the  Acts  we  find  a 
passage  to  which  I  cannot  conceive  what  the  Abbe 
would  urge  in  reply.  St.  Paul  preaches  at  Berea. 
The  Bereans  are  desirous  to  know  whether  the  doc- 
trine which  he  announces  is  true.  What  did  they 
do  ?  They  "  searched  the  Scriptures  daily,  whether 
those  things  were  so,"  Acts  xvii.  11.  You  imagine, 
perhaps,  that  it  was  only  the  teachers  who  did  this  ? 
No,  madam,  it  was  the  whole  Jewish  population  of 
Berea,  and  women  among  the  number,  (ver.  12.) 
Does  not  the  Holy  Spirit  blame  them  for  this  ?  No, 
madam,  the  Holy  Spirit  commends  them  for  it,  and 
calls  them  "  more  noble  than  those  in  Thessalonica." 
But  wras  not  their  faith  in  peril?  Again,  no.  "Many 
of  them  believed  ;"  and  "  they  received  the  word  with 
all  readiness  of  mind."  Allow  me  to  ask  you  a  ques- 
tion on  this  point.  Had  you  been  then  at  B  ere  a,  with 
the  Abbe's  principles,  what  would  you  have  done  ? 
You  would  have  feared  to  be  wanting  in  humility,  and 
to  expose  your  soul  by  examining  the  Bible  yourself. 
You  would  have  had  recourse  to  your  "  natural  di- 
rectors," that  is  to  say,  doubtless,  to  the  chiefs  of  the 


OF   THE    BIBLE.  169 

Jewish  church  at  Berea;  or,  for  si  ill  greater  security, 
to  those  of  the  church  at  Jerusalem  :  and,  by  an  in- 
evitable consequence,  you  would  have  rejected  St. 

Paul,  you  would  have  deprived  yourself  of  the  grace 
of  God.  What,  madam  !  the  .lows  did  well  to  search 
the  Scriptures,  to  know  whether  they  confirmed  the 

doctrine  of  St.  Paul ;  and  we  ought  not  to  examine 
them,  to  know  whether  they  say,  in  effect,  what  the 
church  makes  them  to  say  ! 

But  what  do  I  say — the  church  ?  Should  you  have 
an  apostle,  an  angel  from  heaven,  to  guide  you,  you 
would  still  be  bound  to  ascertain  for  yourself  whether 
he  taught  nothing  but  what  is  written.  "  Though  we, 
or  an  angel  from  heaven,  preach  any  other  gospel 
unto  you  than  that  which  we  have  preached  unit)  you, 
let  him  be  accursed.  As  we  said  before,  so  say  I  now 
again,  If  any  man  preach  any  other  gospel  unto  you 
than  thai  ye  have  received,  let  him  be  accursed," 
Gal.  i.  8,  9.  Yes,  madam,  if  St.  Paul  rose  from  the 
dead,  and  preached  before  you,  you  ought  not  to  say, 
"  He  is  one  of  Christ's  apostles,  he  cannot  mislead 
me  ;"  and  if  an  angel  descended  upon  earth  to  instruct 
you,  you  ought  not  to  say,  "  This  is  an  angel  from 
heaven  ;  he  cannot  seduce  me."  No  :  "  for  Satan 
himself"  may  be  "  transformed  into  an  angel  of  light ;" 
and  "  his  ministers  as  the  ministers  of  righteousness," 
saith  the  Holy  Spirit,  2  Cor.  xi.  14,  15.  But  you 
ought  to  examine  whether  the  things  which  this  apos- 
tle, this  angel,  may  tell  you,  are  conformable  with  the 
gospel  you  have  received.  And  how  can  you  judge, 
if  you  have  not  read  this  gospel  ?  Thus,  far  from 
obliging  us  to  seek  in  a  human  tribunal  an  infallible 
light  to  fix  the  meaning  of  his  word,  God  wills,  on 
the  contrary,  that  we  should  seek  in  this  word  an  in- 
fallible light,  by  which  to  judge  of  the  teaching  of  an 
apostle,  of  an  angel,  how  much  more  those  of  a  priest, 
of  a  bishop,  of  a  pope,  of  a  council ! 

We  have  the  same  doctrine  expressed,  in  other 
15 


170  INTERPRETATION 

terms,  in  St.  John  :  "  Beloved,  believe  not  every 
spirit,  but  try  the  spirits  whether  they  are  of  God  : 
because  many  false  prophets  are  gone  out  into  the 
world.  Hereby  know  ye  the  Spirit  of  God  :  Every 
spirit  that  confesseth  that  Jesus  Christ  is  come  in  the 
flesh,  is  of  God,"  1  John  iv.  1,  2.  You  must,  with 
every  other  believer,  try  the  spirits  of  the  teachers 
before  you  believe  them  ;  and  you  must  try  them  by 
their  doctrine.  But  how  can  you  do  so,  otherwise 
than  by  comparing  it  with  the  word  of  God  yourself? 
If  you  lay  the  charge  of  this  examination  on  others, 
you  again  fall  into  the  danger  from  which  it  is  de- 
signed to  save  you.  Those  whom  you  consult  may 
deceive  you,  as  well  as  those  on  whose  account  you 
consult  them.  There  is  danger  with  every  man. 
When  we  shall  have  employed  one  man  to  try  all  the 
rest,  he  himself  must  be  tried  ;  and  this  cannot  be 
done,  but  by  the  word  of  God. 

Shall  it  then  be  said,  that  you  are  thus  reduced,  as 
a  last  resource,  to  your  own  private  opinion  ?  This 
would  be  pure  sophistry.  You  do  not  consult  your 
own  spirit,  like  the  Rationalists,  as  a  flambeau  which 
will  enlighten  you  ;  but  you  consult  the  word  of  God 
with  your  spirit,  as  with  an  eye  without  which  you 
can  see  nothing.  You  must  always  come  to  this : 
and  the  Abbe,  who  wishes  you  to  consult  the  church, 
probably  wishes  you  to  consult  it  with  your  mind. 
All  that  we  can  do  is,  to.  pray  God  to  preserve  us 
from  error  ;  and  if  we  ask  him  with  sincerity,  he  has 
promised  to  hear  us.* 

After  evidence  so  clear,  it  would  be  superfluous  to 
multiply  quotations.  I  shall  confine  myself  to  point- 
ing out  a  few  more  passages,  without  enlarging  upon 
them  :  "  Whatsoever  things  were  written  aforetime 
were  written  for  our  learning,  that  we  through  pa- 
tience and  comfort  of  the  Scriptures  might  have 
hope,"  Rom.  xv.  4. 

*  Ps.  xxv.  8  ;  xxxii.  8,  etc. 


OF    THE    BIBLE.  171 

"  We  hare  also  a  more  sure  word  of  prophecy  . 

whereunto  ye  do  well  that  ye  take  herd,  as  unto  a 
light  that  shineth  in  a  (lark  place,  until  the  day  dawn, 
and  the  day  star  arise  in  your  hearts. "  2  Pet.  i.  19. 
St.  Peter  approves  of  those  Christians  who  meditate 
upon  the  writings  of  the  prophets,  in  spite  of  the  ob- 
scurity  by  which  they  are  still,  in  a  measure,  veiled  : 
will  lie  not,  also,  approve  of  them,  when  they  read 
the  clearer  parts  of  the  Scriptures,  and  especially  the 
New  Testament  ? 

In  the  beginning  of  his  Revelation,  St.  John  de- 
clares, that  blessed  is  he  that  readeth  :  "  Blessed  is 
he  that  readeth,  and  they  that  hear  the  words  of  this 
prophecy,  and  keep  those  things  which  are  written 
therein  ;  for  the  time  is  at  hand,"  Rev.  i.  3.  'Every 
one,  however,  will  confess  that  this  book  is  the  most 
difficult  in  the  whole  Bible.  Give  heed  to  these 
words,  madam  :  "  Blessed  is  he  that  readeth  !"  Ah, 
when  the  Abbe  Favien  says,  "  Do  not  read ;"  and 
when  the  Spirit  of  God  says,  "  Blessed  is  he  that 
readeth,"  can  you  hesitate  ? 

I  conclude  by  a  passage  from  St.  Paul,  which  ex- 
plains the  reason  why  he  who  readeth  is  blessed. 
"  But  continue  thou  in  the  things  which  thou  hast 
learned  and  hast  been  assured  of,  knowing  of  whom 
thou  hast  learned  them ;  and  that  from  a  child  thou 
hast  known  the  Holy  Scriptures,  which  are  able  to 
make  thee  wise  unto  salvation  through  faith  which 
is  in  Christ  Jesus.  All  Scripture  is  given  by  in- 
spiration of  God,  and  is  profitable  for  doctrine,  for  re- 
proof, for  correction,  for  instruction  in  righteousness; 
that  the  man  of  God  may  be  perfect,  thoroughly 
furnished  unto  all  good  works,"  2  Tim.  iii.  11-17. 
These  words,  madam,  need  no  commentary;  let  them 
crown  your  determination.  Is  it  not  your. desire  to 
be  "perfect,  thoroughly  furnished  unto  all  good 
works  ?"  Well  the  Holy  Spirit  points  out  the  way, 
for  you,  and  even  for  your  children ;  it  is  the  "know- 


172  INTERPRETATION 

ledge  of  the  Holy  Scriptures ;  which  are  able  to 
make  you  wise  unto  salvation,  through  faith  which  is 
in  Christ  Jesus."   Take  them,  therefore,  and  read. 


LETTER  XIV. 

MR.  MERCIER  TO  LUCILLA. 

Continuation  of  the  Third  Proof — The  Bible  interpreted  by  the 
Holy  Spirit. 

You  are  told,  that  if  you  read  the  Scriptures  your- 
self, there  is  great  danger  of  your  not  understanding 
them — a  book  obscure  from  its  antiquity  ;  obscure 
from  the  depth  of  the  subjects  on  which  it  treats  ; 
obscure  from  the  fact  alone,  that  it  comes  from  God. 

Be  easy,  madam  ;  God  who  commands  you  to  read 
the  Bible,  will  take  care  that  you  lose  nothing  by 
obeying  him.  But  now  that  I  am  about  to  show  you 
the  means  by  which  he  has  provided  against  this — 
shall  I  confess  ? — I  fear  that  you  will  find  it  too 
wonderful  to  be  believed.  Listen  here,  I  beseech 
you,  not  to  your  own  opinions,  not  to  the  maxims 
of  an  unbelieving  world — Christian  as  it  calls  itself 
— but  to  the  word  of  God  ;  and  when  God  speaks, 
when  God  promises,  doubt  not.  This  is  the  true 
faith,  and  this  is  also  true  humility. 

That  we  require  a  guide  in  the  study  of  the 
Scriptures  I  willingly  grant ;  but  what  is  the  guide 
that  we  require  ?  In  order  to  know  this,  it  is  im- 
portant that  we  should  know  what  is  meant  by  the 
obscurity  of  the  Bible. 

Is  the  style  in  which  it  is  written  obscure  ?  as 
the  Abbe  would  lead  us  to  imagine.  No,  madam, 
quite  the  contrary.  Notwithstanding  the  depth  of 
the  subjects  on  which  it  treats,  the  style  in  which  it 
is  written  is  exceedingly  clear  ;  it  is  the  most  popu- 
lar of  books.  It  has  evidently  been  composed  with 
a  reference  to  the  simple  and  lowly,  and  whoever 


OF    THE    BIBLE.  173 

wishes  to  learn  how  to  speak  of  the  things  of  God 
in  language  intelligible  to  every  one,  cannot  take  a 
better  model.  Not  that  it  does  not  contain  passages 
difficult  to  be  understood,  even  after  all  the  learned 
explanations  which  have  been  given  of  them  ;  but  all 
that  is  necessary  for  salvation  is  most  clearly  made 
known. 

The  fathers,  whom  the  Abbe  quotes  with  so  much 
confidence,  have  expressly  acknowledged  this  char- 
acteristic of  the  Bible  ;*  but  what  is  still  more  deci- 
sive is,  that  it  lays  claim  to  it  itself.  According  to 
its  own  account,  it  is  a  lamp  unto  our  feet,  and  a 
light  unto  our  path  ;  it  giveth  wisdom  to  the  simple  ; 
it  enlightens  the  eyes  ;  and  if  "  secret  things  belong 
unto  the  Lord  our  God,  those  things  which  are  re- 
vealed belong  unto  us  and  to  our  children."  If  the 
gospel  be  hid,  it  is  hid  to  them  that  are  lost,  in  whom 
the  god  of  this  world  (Satan)  hath  blinded  their 
minds,  Psa.  cxix.  105  ;  xix.  7,  8  ;  Deut.  xxix.  29; 
2  Cor.  iv.  3,  4. 

Whence,  then,  arises  the  obscurity  which  is  found 
in  the  Bible,  if  it  is  so  clear  in  itself?  The  last  pas- 
sage that  I  have  quoted  explains  it  to  us.  This  ob- 
scurity comes  from  the  darkness  which  sin  has  shed 
over  our  understanding.  Man,  before  the  Bible,  is 
like  a  blind  man  before  the  sun.     The  sun  is  light 

*  St.  Irenes,  disputing  against  heretics,  who  maintained  that 
there  was  another  God  and  Creator  besides  the  Father  of  our  Lord 
Jesus  Christ,  and  who  brought  forward  obscure  expositions  of 
certain  parables,  tells  them,  "All  prophetic  and  evangelical 
Scripture  may  be  understood  openly,  and  without  ambiguity,  by 
every  man;"  and  shows  them,  "that  they  should  be  contented 
with  the  testimony  of  God,  which  is  clearly  set  forth."  St. 
Chrysostom,  in  his  third  Homily  on  the  Second  Epistle  to  the 
Thessalonians.  thus  expresses  himself:  "  Every  thing  in  the  Holy 
Scriptures  is  clear  and  straightforward  ;  all  things  necessary  are 
dear."  And  in  his  first  Homily  on  St.  John,  he  says,  "There  is 
no  obscurity  in  this  Gospel ;  it  is  clearer  than  the  sun's  rays." 
St.  Augustine,  after  having  enumerated  the  books  of  Scripture, 
says,  "  That  among  the  tilings  which  are  clearly  taught  in  them, 
are  found  all  those  which  concern  faith  and  practice." — Pictet., 
Theol.  Chr,p.  119. 

15* 


174  INTERPRETATION 

itself;  nevertheless  the  bl  i  nil  man  cannot  see  it.  The 
Bible  also  is  full  (if  clearness  ;  "  but  the  natural  man 
receiveth  not  the  things  of  the  Spirit  of  God,  neither 
can  he  know  them,"  1  Cor.  ii.  14.  He  may,  indeed, 
have  an  historical  knowledge  of  them  ;  but  of  that 
spiritual  and  salutary  intelligence  which  giveth  life 
to  the  soul  he  is  utterly  destitute. 

And  how  shall  he  obtain  it?  In  order  that  the 
blind  man  may  see.  it  will  be  of  no  avail  to  alter  the 
sun  ;  the  closed  eyes  must  be  opened.  The  eyes  of 
our  mind  must  also  be  opened,  madam,  in  order  that 
the  Bible,  which  we  find  obscure,  may  become  clear 
to  us.  It  is  from  our  hearts,  and  not  from  the  Bible, 
that  the  veil  must  be  removed.  Thus  teaches  the 
apostle  Paul,  when,  speaking  of  the  Jews,  he  says, 
"  Even  unto  this  day,  when  Moses  is  read,  the  veil  is 
upon  their  heart ;  nevertheless,  when  it  shall  turn  to 
the  Lord,  the  veil  shall  be  taken  away/'  2  Cor.  iii. 
15,  16.  It  was  not  sufficient  for  Christ's  disciples, 
that  their  Master  should  explain  to  them  the  Scrip- 
tures ;  it  was  also  necessary  that  he  should  "  open 
their  understandings,  that  they  might  understand 
them,"  Luke  xxiv.  45.  Neither  was  it  sufficient  for 
Lydia  to  hear  the  preaching  of  St.  Paul ;  it  was  ne- 
cessary that  her  heart  should  be  opened,  to  attend  unto 
the  things  which  he  said,  Acts  xvi.  14.  Here,  then, 
is  the  difficulty,  madam  ;  and  the  guide  that  we  re- 
quire in  reading  the  Scriptures,  is  one  who  can  not 
only  explain  them  to  us,  but  who,  above  all,  can  open 
our  hearts  to  receive  them. 

Where  shall  we  find  this  guide  ?  In  the  visible 
tribunal  to  which  they  would  fain  subject  you  ?  Ad- 
mitting that  this  tribunal  is  what  the  Abbe  believes  it 
to  be  ;  and  that  it  can  explain  the  Scriptures  without 
danger  of  error  ;  it  is  a  valuable  help,  certainly  ;  yet 
it  is  not  that  of  which  you  have  the  most  urgent  need. 
It  only  removes  the  least  of  your  difficulties  ;  the 
chief  obstacle  still  subsists  in  all  its  force.     It  is  as 


OF    THE    RIBLE.  175 

though  a  surgeon,  called  to  undertake  the  cure  of  a 
blind  man,  were  to  fix  all  his  attention  on  some  appa- 
ratus for  increasing  the  intensity  of  the  sun's  rays; 
and  were  to  do  nothing  for  the  restoration  of  his  sight. 
In  vain  the  Bible  is  explained,  commented  upon,  in- 
terpreted ;  so  long  as  the  heart  remains  closed,  the 
Bible  will  remain  so  too.  Now,  does  the  Abbe's 
visible  tribunal  engage  to  open  your  heart?  The 
bishop  of  Rome,  the  fathers  of  a  council,  even  of  a 
general  council — what  do  I  say  ?  even  the  angels  of 
heaven — do  they  engage  to  give,  or  to  take  from  you, 
a  single  feeling,  a  single  thought  1  No,  madam,  and 
you  might  perish  for  lack  of  knowledge  at  the  feet  of 
an  infallible  tribunal,  which,  all  infallible  as  it  is,  is 
not  the  master  of  your  heart. 

But  there  is  another  guide  who  offers  to  lead  you : 
it  is  God  himself;  it  is  the  Holy  Spirit.  It  is  he 
who,  after  haA'ing  acted  upon  the  spirits  of  the  proph- 
ets and  apostles,  to  the  end  that  they  might  write 
the  Holy  Scriptures,  is  ready  to  act  upon  your  spirit 
also,  that  you  may  receive  them. 

Let  us  hasten  to  correct  a  mistake  which  is  too 
prevalent.  By  the  Holy  Spirit,  promised  to  every 
Christian,  I  do  not  mean  inspiration.  Inspiration  is 
one  thing,  the  gift  of  the  Holy  Ghost  is  another.  In- 
spiration, the  design  of  which  is  to  make  man  the  in- 
fallible depositary  of  Divine  revelation,  and  which  is, 
generally  attested  by  miraculous  powers,  has  been  the 
portion  of  a  very  limited  number  of  individuals,  whom 
God  has  chosen  to  proclaim  his  word,  and  especially 
to  write  it ;  and  we  have  every  reason  to  believe  that 
it  was  discontinued  about  the  time  that  the  canon  of 
the  New  Testament  was  brought  to  a  close.  It  is 
not,  therefore,  of  inspiration  that  I  speak.  Let  me 
beg  you  to  bear  this  in  mind,  madam,  because  those 
who  apply  to  themselves  the  promise  of  the  Holy 
Spirit  are  generally  accused  of  pretending  to  inspira- 
tion.    We  hold  the  prophets  and  apostles  alone  to 


176  INTERPRETATION 

have  been  inspired  ;  but  the  gift  of  the  Holy  Ghost, 
which  is  necessary  in  order  to  a  reception  of  the  in- 
spired Scriptures  to  salvation,  is  promised  to  us  as 
well  as  to  those  men  of  God  ;  and  it  was  as  neces- 
sary to  them  as  it  is  to  us,  inspired  as  they  were. 
Christ  even  taught  them  to  estimate  this  general  gift 
more  highly  than  the  special  privilege  :  hence  this 
beautiful  passage  :  "In  this  rejoice  not,  that  the  spirits 
are  subject  unto  you  ;  but  rather  rejoice,  because  your 
names  are  written  in  heaven,"  Luke  x.  20.  Such, 
madam,  is  the  goodness  of  God.  In  grace,  as  in  na- 
ture, his  most  precious  gifts  are  the  most  common. 

But  this  gift  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  how  shall  I  describe 
it  to  you  ?  The  Holy  Spirit  is  the  Spirit  of  God,  de- 
scending into  the  heart  of  man.  The  Holy  Spirit  ia 
God  in  man  :  it  is  the  crowning  of  the  work  of  sal- 
vation ;  and  beyond  this  nothing  can  be  conceived. 
A  divine  of  the  church  has  remarked,  "  The  Old  Tes- 
tament already  shows  us  God  the  Father,  or  God  for 
us.  The  Gospels  go  still  farther,  and  show  us  God 
the  Son,  or  God  with  us.  The  Acts  and  the  Epistles 
complete  the  plan,  and  show  us  God  the  Holy  Ghost, 
or  God  in  us."     How  glorious,  madam  ! 

This  is  the  grand  promise,  the  distinctive  privilege 
of  the  New  Testament,  Gal.  iii.  14.  Some  believers 
under  the  Old  Testament  dispensation  were  allowed 
to  contemplate  the  Son  of  God,  on  those  solemn  oc- 
casions when  he  appeared  to  them  under  a  visible 
form.  "Abraham  rejoiced  to  see  his  day:  and  he 
saw  it,  and  was  glad,"  John  viii.  56.  But  the  full 
gift.of  the  Holy  Ghost  was  reserved  for  "the  latter 
times  ;"  even  when  the  Son  of  God  was  "  manifest  in 
the  flesh."  The  Holy  Spirit,  such  as  he  has  since 
been  vouchsafed  to  the  Christian  Church,  was  not  yet 
come.  This  is  confirmed  by  the  following  admirable 
passage  in  St.  John's  Gospel :  "  In  the  last  day,  that 
great  day  of  the  feast,  Jesus  stood  and  cried,  saying, 
If  any  man  thirst,  let  him  come  unto  me,  and  drink. 


OF    THE    BIBLK.  177 

He  that  believeth  on  me,  as  the  Scripture  hath  said, 
out  of  his  belly  shall  How  rivers  of  Living  water.  But 
he  spake  this  of  the  Spirit,  which  they  that  believe 
on  him  should  receive  :  for  the  Holy  Ghost  was  not 
yet,*  because  that  Jesus  was  not  yet  glorified,"  John 
vii.  37-39. 

At  length,  the  day  of  Pentecost  arrives,  and  the 
kingdom  of  heaven  is  founded  upon  earth.  The  day 
of  Pentecost  is  the  grand  day  of  the  new  covenant, 
and  the  point  of  demarcation  between  the  Old  and 
New  Testaments.  There  begins  the  full  light  of 
faith  ;  there,  the  free  preaching  of  the  gospel ;  there, 
newness  of  life  ;  there,  the  church  of  Christ.  From 
this  day  "  the  least  in  the  kingdom  of  heaven,  is 
greater  than  John  the  Baptist,"  who  was,  neverthe- 
less, the  greatest  among  the  prophets,  Matt.  xi.  11. 
For  the  Spirit,  which  was  given  on  that  day,  fulfils  all 
in  all :  as  it  is  He  who  inspires  the  apostles,  and 
makes  them  speak  many  languages  which  they  had 
never  learned  ;  it  is  He  who  causes  their  doctrine 
to  penetrate  into  the  hearts  of  those  that  hear  ;  He 
who  enlightens  the  faithful  soul,  who  consoles  it, 
who  teaches  it  how  to  pray,  who  produces  every 
good  disposition  ;  in  short,  who  prepares  it  to  under- 
stand and  receive  the  things  of  the  Bible. 

"  What  man  knoweth  the  things  of  a  man,  save  the 
spirit  of  man  which  is  in  him  ?  even  so  the  things  of 
God  knoweth  no  man,  but  the  Spirit  of  God.  Now 
we  have  received,  not  the  spirit  of  the  world,  but  the 
Spirit  which  is  of  God ;  that  we  might  know  the 
things  that  are  freely  given  to  us  of  God,"  1  Cor.  ii. 
11,  12.     Do  you  perceive,  madam,  the  force  of  this 

*  We  read  in  most  versions,  "  for  the  Holy  Ghost  was  not  vet 
given  ,;'  but  this  last  word  is  not  found  in  the  original.  Not  that 
the  Holy  Ghost  had  been  inactive  during  Christ's  sojourn  upon 
earth,  and  even  under  the  Old  Testament  dispensation  ;  but  he  be- 
gan to  act  in  a  manner  altogether  new  on  the  day  of  Pentecost. 
Before,  he  had  operated  in  the  world  ;  then,  he  gave  himself  to  the 
church. 


178  INTERPRETATION 

argument,  at  once  so  simple  and  so  profound  ?  As 
the  spirit  of  a  man  alone  knoweth  what  is  in  that  man, 
so  the  Spirit  of  God  alone  knoweth  what  is  in  God. 
If  you  find  any  obscurity  in  this  letter,  to  whom  could 
you  more  fitly  apply  than  to  me,  by  whom  it  is  writ- 
ten ?  If  you  find  any  in  the  Bible,  you  must,  by 
parity  of  reason,  address  yourself  to  the  Spirit  of  God, 
by  whom  it  is  dictated.  He  being  the  author  of  this 
book,  is  also  its  most  sure  interpreter. 

Whoever  has  this  Spirit,  madam,  is  taught  of  God 
himself,  according  to  this  prophecy  of  Isaiah  :  "  All 
thy  children  shall  be  taught  of  the  Lord,"  Isa.  liv. 
13  ;  and  according  to  the  testimony  which  St.  John 
bears  to  every  true  believer  :  "  The  anointing  which 
ye  have  received  of  him  abideth  in  you,  and  ye  need 
not  that  any  man  teach  you,"  1  John  ii.  27.  Who- 
ever has  this  Spirit  is  as  highly  favored  as  if  the  Lord 
Jesus  Christ  were  near  him,  under  a  visible  form,  and 
he  could  interrogate  and  hear  him,  as  men  could  in 
Judea  eighteen  centuries  ago.  What  do  I  say?  He 
is  more  highly  favored  still.  Yes,  madam,  he  is 
more  so.  Let  us  not  fear  to  affirm  this  ;  for  the  Lord 
himself  has  declared  it.  Jesus  has  just  announced 
to  his  disciples  that  he  is  about  to  leave  them  ;  then, 
seeing  their  sorrow,  he  adds  these  wonderful  words  : 
"  Because  I  have  said  these  things  unto  you,  sorrow 
hath  filled  your  heart.  Nevertheless,  I  tell  you  the 
truth ;  It  is  expedient  for  you  that  I  go  away — " 
And  why,  madam  ?  Is  it  because  the  bishop  of 
Rome  will  hereafter  supply  his  place  upon  earth  ? 
Is  it  he — is  it  the  councils — is  it  the  visible  tribunal, 
whose  presence  is  better  for  man,  than  that  of  Christ  ? 
Finish  the  Saviour's  answer :  "  It  is  expedient  for 
you  that  I  go  away  :  for  if  I  go  not  away,  the  Com- 
forter will  not  come  unto  you  ;  but  if  I  depart,  I  will 
send  him  unto  you,"  John  xvi.  6,  7  ;  xiv.  26. 

O,  madam !  this  Guide,  whose  presence  would  foe 
more  precious  to  you  than  even  intercourse  with  the 


OF    THE    BIBLE.  179 

Saviour  himself,  this  Spirit  of  God,  may  it  indeed  be 
yours  !  This  is  the  whole  question.  For  if  you 
have  it  cot,  nothing  in  the  world  can  supply  its  place. 
In  vain  they  say  that  this  Spirit  instructs  others  for 
you.  Once  more,  madam  ;  should  another  be  in- 
structed lor  you,  infallibly  instructed,  he  might  set 
the  truth  before  you,  I  allow  ;  but  could  he  cause  it 
to  penetrate  into  your  heart  ?  If  he  is  enlightened 
for  you,  will  he,  also,  be  convinced  for  you  1  touched 
for  you  ?  consoled  for  you  ?  justified  for  you  ?  saved 
for  you  ?  Leave,  then,  these  blind  guides,  who  dare 
to  place  themselves  between  your  soul  and  God. 
Take,  oh,  take  the  true  Guide,  which  Christ  an- 
nounces, and  which  God  promises  to  you.  Yes, 
madam,  lie  is  promised  to  you,  for  lie  is  promised  to 
all ;  and  this  grace,  so  glorious,  that  we  hardly  dare 
believe  it  possible  even  for  the  greatest  saints,  is  as- 
sured to  the  least  disciple  of  Christ. 

In  effect,  open  the  New  Testament  at  the  second 
chapter  of  the  Acts,  at  the  history  of  the  day  of  Pen- 
tecost. The  Holy  Spirit  has  just  descended  on  the 
apostles  ;  the  astonished  multitude  have  seen  its  won- 
derful signs  ;  and  the  believers  inquire,  as  you  inquire 
to-day,  whether  every  disciple  of  Christ  may  pretend 
to  any  part  in  a  grace  so  new,  and  so  prodigious. 
What  must  they  have  felt,  madam,  whenlhey  heard 
the  following  words  uttered  by  St.  Peter :  "  Repent, 
and  be  baptized  every  one  of  you  in  the  name  of 
Jesus  Christ  for  the  remission  of  sins,  and  ye  shall 
receive  the  gift  of  the  Holy  Ghost !  For  the  promise 
is  unto  you,  and  to  your  children,  and  to  all  that  are 
afar  off,  even  as  many  as  the  Lord  our  God  shall 
call,"  Acts  ii.  38,  39.  Does  not  this  precisely  reply 
to  the  question  which  fills  your  heart  ?  and  does  it 
not  reply  in  terms  clear  as  the  day  ?  Does  it  not 
expressly  say,  that  this  gift  is  not  for  the  apostles 
only,  but  for  every  believer  ?  for  each  of  us,  for  our 
children,  for  all  that  are  afar  off,  for  as  many  as  the 


180  INTERPRETATION 

Lord  our  God  shall  call  ?  Can  anything  be  more 
comprehensive  ?  Do  you  still  require  further  proofs  ? 
you  will  find  them  everywhere.  It  is  to  all  the  be- 
lievers in  Corinth  that  St.  Paul  writes,  "  Know  ye  not 
that  ye  are  the  temple  of  God,  and  that  the  Spirit 
of  God  dwelleth  in  you?"  1  Cor.  iii.  16.  It  is 
to  all  the  Christians  at  Ephesus  that  he  elsewhere 
writes,  "  After  that  ye  believed,  ye  were  scaled 
with  that  Holy  Spirit  of  promise,"  Eph.  i.  13  ;  and 
again,  "  Be  filled  with  the  Spirit,"  Eph.  v.  18. 
"  If  any  man-'  have  not  the  Spirit  of  Christ,  he 
is  none  of  his,"  Rom.  viii.  9.  "  No  man  can  say- 
that  Jesus  is  the  Lord  but  by  the  Holy  Ghost,"  1 
Cor.  xii.  3. 

What  a  promise,  madam  !  The  day  in  which  you 
receive  it  in  your  heart,  will  be  your  pentecost,  and 
a  new  life  will  begin  for  your  soul.  Then  your  faith 
will  become  living,  dead  as  it  was  before.  Then 
your  eyes  will  be  opened,  your  heart  enlarged,  your 
soul  "  created"  anew,  according  to  the  expression  of 
the  Holy  Ghost,  Eph.  ii.  10.  Then,  having  the 
Holy  Spirit  for  your  Guide,  you  will  have  God  for 
your  Father,  and  Jesus  Christ  for  your  Brother ;  for 
it  is  written,  "  As  many  as  are  led  by  the  Spirit  of 
God,  they  are  the  sons  of  God,"  Rom.  viii.  14.  And 
what  must  be  done  to  obtain  this  spirit  ?  Only  to  ask. 
"  Ask,  and  it  shall  be  given  you ;  seek,  and  ye  shall 
find  ;  knock,  and  it  shall  be  opened  unto  you.  For 
every  one  that  asketh  receiveth  ;  and  he  that  seeketh 
findeth ;  and  to  him  that  knocketh  it  shall  be  opened. 
If  a  son  shall  ask  bread  of  any  of  you  that  is  a  father, 
will  he  give  him  a  stone  ?  or  if  he  ask  a  fish,  will 
he  for  a  fish  give  him  a  serpent  ?  or  if  he  shall  ask 
an  egg,  will  he  offer  him  a  scorpion?  If  ye  then, 
being  evil,  know  how  to  give  good  gifts  unto  your 
children  ;  how  much  more  shall  your  heavenly  Fa- 
ther give  the  Holy  Spirit  to  them  that  ask  him?" 
L.uke  xi.  9 — 13. 


OF    THE    BIBLE.  181 

Hero,  then,  is  the  true  means  by  which  God  lias 
provided  lor  the    explanation  of  his  word.     "  \\  ho 

shall  instruct  me  in  the  things  of  God,  but  God  him- 
self.'"  s.iys  a  Christian  poet.  With  the  Uible  in  your 
hands,  and  with  the  Holy  Spirit  in  your  heart,  should 
von  be  alone  in  the  desert,  you  would  still  have  all 
that  is  necessary  lor  the  knowledge  of  God.  and  for 
the  salvation  of  your  soul.  They  will  tell  you,  that 
thus  to  confide  in  the  Holy  Spirit,  is  to  believe  your- 
self inspired  !  No  ;  it  is  simply  to  believe  that  God 
deigns  to  enlighten  your  mind,  and  to  touch  your 
heart.  They  will  tell  you  that  it  is  to  pretend  to  in- 
fallibility! No ;  you  will  not  be  sheltered  from  every 
error,  but  rely  upon  God  to  give  you  the  degree  of 
light  which  is  indispensable.  They  will  tell  you, 
that  it  is  presumptuous  thus  to  confide  in  yourself!  No; 
unless  a  child  who  will  listen  to  his  father  alone,  may 
be  accused  of  presumption,  because,  in  order  to  hear 
him,  he  uses  his  own  understanding,  and  his  own 
ears.  They  will  tell  you,  that  it  is  to  despise  all 
counsel !  No  ;  you  will  hearken  to  counsel,  but  you 
will  examine  it  by  the  word  of  God  ;  and  you  will 
not  become  "  the  servant  of  men."  Let  them  tell 
you  what  they  will,  madam,  but  give  glory  to  God. 
Rest  humbly  and  steadfastly  on  his  promises  ;  and  if 
you  meet  with  some  one  who  pretends  to  despoil  you 
of  the  glorious  privileges  of  the  children  of  God, 
under  the  pretext  that  he  is  Christ's  vicar,  reply  with 
Tertullian,*  that  "  Christ  has  no  other  vicar  than  the 
Holy  Ghost." 

Of  all  the  Abbe's  arguments,  the  most  specious  is 
that  which  is  furnished  by  the  Ethiopian,  who  says 
to  Philip,  "  How  can  I  understand,  except  some  man 
should  guide  me  ?"  The  Abbe  makes  a  clever  use 
of  this  reply;  but  a  very  simple  reflection  overturns 
all  his  reasoning :  it  is,  that  the  man  whom  he  cites 
is  no  authority.     It  is  not  an  infallible  apostle  who 

•  In  a  passage  already  quoted. 

16 


182  INTERPRETATION 

here  speaks.  It  is  an  humble  and  pious  disciple, 
doubtless,  hut  one  upon  whom  the  lighi  isonlybegin- 
ning  to  dawn:  and  what  we  ought  especially  to  ob- 
serve is,  that  as  yet  he  knows  not  the  Holy  Spirit. 
Because  he  is  humble,  he  feels  that  he  requires  a 
counsellor;  and  because  he  knows  not  the  Holy 
Spirit,  he  imagines,  perhaps,  that  he  needs  a  man  to 
guide  him.  But  follow  him  when  the  gospel  has 
been  fully  explained  to  him,  and  after  he  has  been 
baptized  in  the  name  of  the  Father,  of  the  Son,  and 
of  the  Holy  Ghost.  "  The  Spirit  of  the  Lord  caught 
away  Philip,"  whose  directions  were,  doubtless,  no 
longer  necessary  to  bis  disciple.  What  then  does 
this  new  convert?  He  has  just  lost  the  guide  with- 
out, whom  he  had  imagined  a  few  hours  before  that 
he  could  understand  nothing;  will  he  think  himself 
utterly  abandoned,  and  without  resource?  No,  ma- 
dam; "he  went  on  his  way  rejoicing,"'  Acts  viii.  30 
— 39.  Because  the  same  Spirit  which  caught  away 
Philip,  but  which  had  not  caught  away  his  Bible,  ex- 
plained it  to  him,  instead  of  Philip,  and  better  still 
than  Philip  could  have  done. 

This  history,  properly  understood,  is  calculated, 
on  the  contrary,  to  encourage  you  to  read  the  word 
of  God.  "  Here  is  a  man  who  was  enlightened  while 
reading  the  Holy  Scriptures.  He  held  an  important 
office,  and  possessed  great  riches  ;  and,  nevertheless, 
he  applied  himself  to  this  study,  even  when  travel- 
ling :  what,  then,  would  he  not  do  when  at  rest  in  his 
house  ?  But  there  is  much  ground  for  admiration  in 
the  means  which  God  employed  in  order  to  his  con- 
version. He  had  not  seen  Jesus ;  no  miracle  had 
been  performed  in  his  presence  ;  how  then  was  this 
sudden  change  wrought  in  him  ?  and  whence  is  it  that 
he  was  so  disposed  to  receive  what  Philip  said  ?  Be- 
cause his  soul  was  engrossed  by  the  things  of  God  ; 
because  he  was  attentive  to  the  Scriptures,  and  was 
employed  in  reading  them.     So   advantageous   and 


OF    THE    BIBLE.  183 

useful  is  it  to  read  the  Holy  Scriptures."  Do  you 
know  who  said  this?  St.  Chiysostom.  The  con- 
clusion which  he  draws  from  this  recital  is,  in  my 
opinion,  quite  equal  to  the  opposite  conclusion  which 
is  drawn  from  it  by  the  Abbe  Favien. 

My  task,  is  ended,  madam  ;  and  you  now  know  the 
reasons  which  have  induced  me  to  read  the  Bible. 
Will  they  not,  also,  induce  you  to  do  the  same? 
What  wait  you  for?  Use  a  right  which  God  has 
given  you;  obey  a  command  written  by  his  hand. 
Then  your  faith,  resting  "  not  in  the  wisdom  of  men, 
but  in  the  power  of  God,"  will  be  firm  as  the  rock  of 
ages  on  which  it  is  founded. 


LETTER  XV. 

LUCILLA    TO    MR.    MERCIER. 

How,  sir,  can  I  be  sufficiently  grateful  for  the 
trouble  you  have  taken  in  replying  to  me!  If  I  were 
obliged  to  judge  between  the  Abbe  and  you,  by  the 
kindness  which  you  each  have  shown  in  defending  your 
cause,  I  should  indeed  be  embarrassed.  But  it  is  not 
this,  I  feel,  which  ought  to  determine  me.  I  ought 
to  weigh  your  reasons.  Those  of  the  Abbe  had  near- 
ly convinced  me  ;  but  you  have  greatly  shaken  this 
feeling.  Perhaps  I  am  wrong  to  confess  this  to  you. 
Ought  I  not  rather  to  tell  Mr.  Favien,  in  order  that 
he  may  endeavor  to  strengthen  me  ? 

This  worthy  Abbe,  how  can  I  believe  him  in  error? 
How  can  I  abandon  him  who  has  shown  me  the  way 
of  salvation,  and  persuaded  me  of  the  truth  of  the 
Christian  religion  ?  I  fear  I  know  not  what  seduc- 
tion. Yes,  sir;  I  confess  I  fear  that  you  will  entice 
me;  that  you  will  turn  me  aside  from  the  Catholic 
church.     You  must  be  a  Protestant  yourself,  though 


184  INTERPRETATION 

this  word  is  not  found  in  your  letters.  One  would 
think  that  you  studiously  avoided  it. 

It  would  be  difficult  for  me  to  describe  the  feelings 
to  which  your  letters  have  given  rise.  They  delight- 
ed and  grieved  me  by  turns.  They  gave  me  glimpses 
of  a  new  existence  ;  and  the  moment  after  they  again 
plunged  me  into  distressing  uncertainty.  I  find  there, 
as  you  formerly  found  in  the  gospel,  many  things 
which  are  admirable,  with  others  which  I  know  not 
how  to  believe.  I  require  new  explanations,  and  I 
hesitate  to  ask  them.  Am  I  acting  right  ?  Am  I 
doing  wrong?  I  know  not;  I  fear  to  inquire  ;  and  yet 
I  cannot  remain  in  my  present  state. 

However  this  may  be,  since  I  have  begun,  I  must 
finish.  My  uncertainty  must  be  brought  to  an  end ; 
and  while  I  consider  it,  in  some  sort,  a  point  of  con- 
science to  write  to  you,  I  also  feel,  as  it  were,  con- 
strained to  do  so.  God  seeth  my  heart.  He  knows 
that  it  was  my  anxious  desire  after  salvation  that 
prompted  me  to  enter  upon  this  path,  which  I  know 
not  how  to  abandon. 

I  have  confessed,  sir,  that  your  reasons  appear  to 
me  the  stronger  of  the  two.  The  passages  which 
you  quote  from  the  Scriptures  have  especially  made 
a  deep  impression  upon  my  mind.  I  conceive  that 
neither  my  fallible  reason,  nor  a  necessarily  uncertain 
tradition,  can  afford  solid  ground  for  my  salvation. 
Only  God  and  his  word  can  do  this.  Scriptural 
proofs  must  constitute  the  essential  point.  Those 
which  are  alleged  by  the  Abbe  had  appeared  to  me 
sufficient;  but  I  now  perceive  that,  as  you  say,  I 
completed  the  meaning,  and  added  to  these  texts 
something  which  does  not  exist  in  them  ;  at  least, 
which  is  not  evident. 

Nevertheless,  I  also  see  objections  against  your 
views,  so  important,  so  decisive,  that  they  cause  me 
still  to  lean  to  the  other  side.  Is  it  from  a  spirit  of 
contradiction  ?     If  it  be,  I  am  ill  acquainted  with  my 


OF    THE    BIBLE.  185 

own  hear!  ;  for  I  believe  that  1  seek  truth  alone. 
These  objections  have  been  touched  upon  by  the 
Abbe  at  the  close  of  his  letter.  It  is  for  this  reason, 
perhaps,  that  yon  have  Dot  thought  necessary  to  al- 
lude to  them:  besides,  you  had  enough  to  do  to  re- 
ply to  his  three  proofs.  It  was,  nevertheless,  these 
accessory  considerations  which  struck  me  the  most 
in  all  that  he  has  written;  especially  as  I  have,  more 
than  once,  heard  them  adduced  by  priests  ;  and  really 
I  can  hardly  conceive  what  could  be  urged  in  reply. 
They  are  drawn  from  the  experience  of  the  dis- 
senting churches.  Having  no  judge  to  decide  in 
doubtful  cases  of  controversy,  the  members  of  these 
churches  must  find  themselves  in  continual  perplexity 
You  say,  indeed,  that  they  have  the  Holy  Spirit;  but 
as  the  Holy  Spirit  is  neither  seen  nor  heard,  it  is 
easy  to  say  that  he  has  been  received,  and  difficult  to 
furnish  proof.  "  This  being  the  case,"  say  these 
priests,  (and  1  heard  one  speaking  on  the  subject  a 
few  days  ago,)  "  tin  y  fall,  with  their  doctrine  of  in- 
dividual inspiration,  into  all  the  inconveniences  of  the 
system  of  the  Rationalists.  How,  in  effect,  can  they 
thus  have  a  centre  of  authority  ?  and  if  two  persons, 
who  both  imagine  that  they  have  the  Holy  Spirit,  do 
not  see  the  same  thing  in  the  Bible,  who  shall  decide 
between  them  ?  And  how  can  the  faithful  have  any 
certainty  of  having  found  the  true  meaning  of  the 
Bible,  when  it  may  be,  and  in  fact  is,  so  diversely  un- 
derstood ?  And  again,  how  can  there  be  that  unity  in 
the  church  which  Jesus  Christ  so  evidently  desired, 
when  every  individual  forms  his  own  religious  opin- 
ions ?  Do  we  not  see  in  France,  and  elsewhere,  dis- 
senting sects  divided  and  subdivided  without  end? 
They  agree,  it  is  said,  on  fundamental  points  ;  but 
what  right  have  they  to  choose  among  the  subjects  of 
revelation  ?  And  who  will  be  charged  to  draw  up 
the  list  of  fundamental  points  ?  And  lastly,  what  is 
the  use  of  the  ministry  of  pastors,  if  we  are  not 
16* 


186  INTERPRETATION 

obliged  to  submit  to  their  decisions  ?  If  the  pastor 
can  do  nothing  but  what  every  one  else  could  do  as 
well  eus  himself,  let  him  descend  from  his  pulpit,  place 
a  Bible  there,  and  every  thing  will  be  said." 

Such  was  the  discourse  of  this  priest.  You  see 
it  is  little  else  than  a  development  of  what  the 
Abbe  Favien  said  in  conclusion.  Perhaps  you  can 
throw  some  light  on  the  subject ;  this,  however,  ap- 
pears to  me  very  difficult.  The  variations  in  the  dis- 
senting churches  seem  to  me  a  much  greater  evil 
than  even  blind  submission.  Is,  then,  the  danger  of 
the  present  day  that  of  believing  too  much  ?  Is  it 
not  rather  that  of  being  wanting  in  faith  ? 

Ah  !  sir,  whatever  you  may  say,  I  should  be  much 
more  tranquil  if  Christ  were  upon  earth,  and  I  could 
go  and  consult  him.  This  would,  doubtless,  be  bet- 
ter than  the  pope  and  his  councils  ;  but  I  am  not  quite 
convinced  that  it  would  not  also  be  better  for  me, 
at  least,  than  the  Holy  Spirit.  This  doctrine  of 
the  Holy  Spirit  perplexes  me  ;  I  am  among  those 
who  would  fear  it  as  a  sort  of  inspiration. 

I  shall  not  beg  you  to  excuse  all  the  trouble  I  give 
you.  This  would  not  accord  with  the  high  opinion  I 
have  formed  of  your  Christian  kindness. 


LETTER  XVI. 

MR.    MERCIER    TO   LUCILLA. 

Reply  to  some  Objections. 

I  have  received  the  last  letter  which  you  have 
done  me  the  honor  of  writing  to  me.  I  fancy  that  I 
can  perceive,  through  all  the  agitation  of  your  soul, 
symptoms  of  a  dawning  faith  ;  and,  at  all  events,  I 
see  an  ardent  desire  to  know  and  to  follow  the  truth. 
This  suffices  to  re-assure  me  ;  for  it  is  written,  "  He 


OF    THE    BIBLE.  187 

that  seeketh,  Budeth,"  Matt .  vii.  8.  But  be  calm, 
madam.  I  entreat  you  ;  you  will  attain  the  desired 
end  the  more  surely,  and  the  more  promptly  ;  lor  it 
is  also  written,  "  Res1  in  the  Lord,  and  wait  patiently 
for  him,"  Psa.  xxxvii.  7. 

My  arguments  strike  you,  but  you  are  prevented 
from  adopting  my  views  by  difficulties  which  are 
deemed  inseparable  from  the  doctrines  which  1  sup- 
port. That  there  are  difficulties  in  the  principle  I  have 
maintained,  I  agree  ;  hut  I  say  with  the  Abbe,  "  Diffi- 
culty is  not  doubt  ;"  and  even  an  insoluble  difficulty- 
could  not  shake  a  well-established  proposition.  Ap- 
ply this  wise  maxim  to  the  subject  of  our  correspond- 
ent .\  and  you  will  no  longer  be  disturbed  by  the 
discourse  which  you  have  reported  to  me.  Admit- 
ting that  I  cannot  answer  all  the  hows  of  this  priest; 
God  has  permitted,  has  prescribed,  the  reading  of 
the  Bible  to  all.  This  is  enough  to  enable  you  to  do 
it  in  peace. 

However,  madam,  I  think  that  I  can  diminish  the 
doubts  which  pre-occupy  you.  They  will  only  be 
completely  dissipated  when  you  have  received  the 
light  of  the  Holy  Spirit.  Of  this  light  you  are  des- 
titute, as  is  also  the  priest  of  whom  you  speak  ;  and 
hence  arise  all  these  questions.  But  I  am  now 
about  to  show  you  that  the  difficulties  of  which  he 
complains  are  less  than  he  imagines.  I  do  not  in- 
tend to  enter  so  much  into  detail,  as  when  I  was  dis- 
cussing the  Abbe's  proofs.  If  my  former  replies 
were  solid — and  I  believe  them  such — a  few  words 
will  suffice  for  each  of  the  minor  points  on  which  you 
now  consult  me. 

And  especially  remember,  madam,  that  your  sal- 
vation, your  personal  salvation,  is  concerned  in  this 
matter.  "  What  must  I  do  to  be  saved  ?"  was  tho 
question  of  the  Philippian  jailer,  Acts  xvi.  30  ;  and 
it  is  what  you,  also,  should  propose.  This  question 
is  simple  and  precise  ;  let  us  not  confound  it  with 


188  INTERPRETATION1 

*hat  of  the  church,  which  is  embarrassed  and  com- 
plicated. Do  not  neglect  this  precaution  ;  you  can- 
not imagine  how  much  it  will  facilitate  your  task. 
The  believer  exists  before  the  church,  as  the  trees 
are  before  the  forest ;  and  Adam,  for  instance,  if  he 
believed  the  promise  of  grace,  was  saved  by  faith 
before  there  was  a  church  in  the  world.  The  word 
of  God  makes  believers ;  and  believers  make  the 
church.  Begin,  then,  by  the  question  of  salvation  ; 
that  of  the  church  will  follow. 

Moreover,  madam,  you  will  do  well  to  bear  the 
following  reflection  continually  in  mind  during  the 
present  discussion.  They  tell  you,  that  without  an 
infallible  tribunal  you  will  meet  with  certain  diffi- 
culties. This  is  all  very  well  ;  but  have  they  them- 
selves this  infallible  tribunal  ?  The  important  point, 
evidently,  is  not  to  have  a  tribunal  reputed  infallible ; 
it  is  to  have  one  which  is  such  in  reality ;  for  what 
you  require,  is  not  to  believe  yourself  saved,  but  to 
be  saved  in  reality.  A  tribunal  reputed  infallible, 
and  which  is  not  such,  might  be  very  convenient  for 
the  souls  which  blindly  trust  in  it ;  but  it  would  be 
very  dangerous.  It  might  give  them  security  ;  but 
would  not  place  them  in  safety  ;  and  such  security- 
is  only  the  bliss  of  sleeping  on  the  edge  of  a  preci- 
pice. The  authority  which  would  be  conceded  to 
such  a  tribunal  might  be  exercised  in  favor  of  here- 
sy; the  assurance  it  would  give  to  the  faithful  might 
be  illusive  ;  the  unity  which  it  would  produce  in 
the  church  might  be  that  of  error  ;  and  the  pastoral 
ministry  that  it  would  sanction  might  be  a  ministry 
of  ignorance  or  of  seduction.  This  observation  is 
so  simple,  that  it  may  appear  superfluous  ;  neverthe- 
less, it  is  not  so.  The  minds  of  men  are  easily  mis- 
taken in  cases  of  this  kind  ;  and  they  often  reason  as 
if  the  Abbe's  visible  tribunal  did  indeed  possess  the 
infallibility  to  which  it  lays  claim.  If  I  believed  that 
it  did,  I  would  immediately  rangeiinyself  on  its  side  ; 


OF    THE    BIBLE.  189 

but  I  believe  I  have  shown  yen  that  it  has  not.  Let 
us  now  proceed  to  your  difficulties. 

They  ask,  in  the  first  place,  how,  without  a  visible 
tribunal,  we  van  have  an  authority. which  judges 
without  appeal  incases  of  controversy?  It  cannot 
be  denied,  that  the  churches  which  do  not  believe  in 
a  visible  tribunal  still  have  all  the  authority  requisite 
for  the  government  of  their  affairs,  and  for  the  pre- 
servation of  their  internal  order.  Thus,  not  to  men- 
tion the  churches  of  England,  of  Scotland,  of  Ger- 
many, the  Reformed  church  of  France  virtually  pos- 
sesses, and  really  possessed,  in  more  happy  times,  a 
synodal  government,  which  maintained  through  the 
length  and  breadth  of  the  land  one  common  confession 
of  faith,  and  one  common  discipline,  to  whose  de- 
cisions every  one  was  obliged  to  submit,  under  pain 
of  expulsion  from  the  church.  But  this  government 
would  not  satisfy  you,  madam  ;  for,  however  respect- 
able it  might  be,  it  is  not  absolutely  sheltered  from 
error.  You  wish  for  an  authority  which  puts  all 
controversies  at  rest  by  sovereign  and  infallible  de- 
cisions. For  want  of  this,  say  they,  we  can  never 
demonstrate  that  the  truth  is  with  us.  Had  we  really 
the  Holy  Spirit,  this  Spirit  could  not  serve  us  as  a 
proof  in  the  eyes  of  others. 

I  grant  this,  although  with  certain  restrictions. 
We  are  not  mystics.  The  things  which  the  Holy 
Spirit  teaches  us,  are  not  altogether  of  an  invisible 
nature.  With  the  Bible  in  our  hands,  we  can  justify 
our  belief  by  clear  and  positive  testimony ;  and  I 
think  we  can  convince  of  its  truth  all  who,  like  us, 
receive  the  Bible  as  the  word  of  God.  But  I  grant, 
that  if  any  one  contradicts  it,  we  cannot  close  his 
mouth  by  calling  forth  the  decision  of  a  sovereign  and 
infallible  authority. 

But  this,  madam,  is  not  indispensable.  For.  ob- 
serve, what  I  want  is,  to  have  the  truth,  not  to  prove 
that  I  have  it.      If  I  have  it,  God  will  assuredly 


190  INTERPRETATION 

know.  "  The  Lord  knowcth  them  that  are  his,"  2 
Tim.  ii.  19.  This  is  the  all  important  point,  since  it 
is  God  who  will  judge  us,  not  man.  "  But  with 
me,"  said  St.  Paul,  in  his  first  epistle  to  the  Corinth- 
ians, "it  is  a  very  small  thing  that  I  should  be  judged 
of  you,  or  of  man's  judgment :  yea,  I  judge  not  mine 
own  self. — He  that  judgeth  me  is  the  Lord.  There- 
fore judge  nothing  before  the  time,  until  the  Lord 
come,  who  both  will  bring  to  light  the  hidden  things 
of  darkness,  and  will  make  manifest  the  counsels  of 
the  hearts  :  and  then  shall  every  man  have  praise 
of  God,"  1  Cor.  iv.  3 — 5.  Let  men  believe  me 
damned,  what  do  I  lose  by  it,  if  I  am  saved?  Let 
men  canonize  me,  what  do  I  gain,  if  I  am  consigned 
to  hell  ? 

This  objection  arises  from  a  general  and  capital 
error.  Man,  inclined  to  walk  by  sight,  and  impatient 
in  his  judgments,  would  anticipate  the  sentence  of 
God.  Hence  he  transfers  to  earth  and  to  time  a 
judgment  which  is  reserved  for  heaven  and  for  eternity; 
he  takes  it  from  the  Creator,  to  give  it  to  the  creature. 
Always  bear  in  mind,  that  the  salvation  of  your  soul 
must  be  settled  between  God  and  you,  not  between 
you  and  your  fellow-men.  John  Huss,  burned  by 
the  council  of  Constance,  may  be  calm  in  spite  of  the 
anathemas  of  a  whole  assembly,  if  he  possesses  an 
inward  and  well-grounded  assurance  that  he  belongs 
to  Christ.  And  we,  madam,  provided  we  are  in  the 
truth,  and  can  "  assure  our  hearts  before  God," 
1  John  iii.  19,  have  no  need  of  any  human  authority 
to  furnish  us  with  the  means  of  proving  it  to  the  rest 
of  the  world. 

But,  at  least,  continues  your  priest,  if  you  have  no 
absolute  need  of  proving  to  others  that  you  have  the 
truth,  vou  require  to  know  it  with  certainty  yourself; 
and  you  cannot  do  this  without  an  infallible  tribunal. 

And  why  not,  I  pray  ?  Cannot  the  Spirit  of  God 
give  me  an  inward  assurance  "  that  this  is  the  true 


OF    THE    BIBLE.  191 

grace  of  God  wherein  I  stand  ln  1  Peter  v.  L2.     The 
best   proof  that  he  can,  is  that  he  does  ;  he  affirms 

this  himself  in  many  parts  of  Scripture.  St.  John 
writes  in  his  general  epistle,  "  Hereby  we  know  that 
he  abideth  in  ns,  by  the  Spirit  which  he  hath  given 
us,''  1  John  iii.  24.  Again  he  writes,  "  Hereby  know 
we  that  we  dwell  in  him,  and  he  in  us,  because  he  hath 
given  us  of  his  Spirit,"  1  John  iv.  13.  St.  Paul 
writes  to  the  Romans,  "  Ye  have  not  received  the 
spirit  of  bondage  again  to  fear  ;  but  ye  have  received 
the  Spirit  of  adoption,  whereby  we  cry,  Abba, 
Father.  The  Spirit  itself  beareth  witness  with  our 
spirit,  that  we  are  the  children  of  God,"  Rom.  viii. 
15,  16.  When  God  himself  deigns  to  assure  our 
hearts  that  we  belong  to  him,  what  need  have  we  that 
his  testimony  should  be  guarantied  to  us  by  that  of 
man  1  Surely,  when  the  poor  sinful  woman  heard 
the  Saviour  say,  "  Go  in  peace  ;  thy  sins  are  forgiven 
thee,"  she  required  nothing  more  ;-and  if  the  whole 
sanhedrim  had  met  her  on  that  occasion,  they  would 
have  taken  nothing  from  her  by  denying  her  forgive- 
ness, nor  added  anything  by  confirming  it.  Well, 
madam,  with  the  Holy  Spirit,  you  have  as  much,  you 
have  more  than  this  poor  woman  had.  I  have  al- 
ready pointed  out  this  wonderful  passage  ;  but  I 
delight  in  showing  it  to  you  again  :  "  It  is  expedient 
for  you  that  I  go  away  :  for  if  I  go  not  away,  the 
Comforter  will  not  come  unto  you  ;  but  if  I  depart, 
I  will  send  him  unto  you,"  John  xvi.  7. 

And  where  have  they  learned  that  we  can  have  no 
peace  of  mind  until  the  sentence  of  grace  has  sounded 
in  our  outward  ears  ?  The  Lord,  in  order  to  speak 
to  our  hearts,  has  a  voice  which  may  be  heard  with- 
out the  help  of  organs,  and  which  silently  penetrates 
to  the  inmost  recesses  of  the  soul.  Behold  a  man 
who  has  been  a  prey  to  the  deepest  anguish,  and  who 
has  cried  at  the  sight  of  his  sins,  "  How  shall  I  ap- 
pear before  my  Judge !"     Behold  him  when  he  has 


192  INTERPRETATION 

found  the  peace  of  God,  and  when  he  joyfully  repeats 
this  blessed  testimony  of  one  of  the  apostles,  "  1  know 
in  whom  I  have  believed."  What  has  taken  place  in 
this  man  ?  You  have  seen  nothing,  you  have  heard 
nothing.  The  Holy  Ghost  has  spoken  to  him, 
madam  ;  and  while  a  blinded  priest  refuses  to  believe 
in  a  pardon  unheard  by  his  outward  ears,  the 
faithful  soul  secretly  appeals  to  God  himself:  he 
says,  "  My  witness  is  in  heaven  ;"  and  you  will  as 
easily  persuade  him  that  it  is  noon  at  midnight,  as 
you  will  lead  him  to  doubt  that  God  is  his  Father, 
Christ  is  his  Saviour,  and  the  Holy  Spirit  his  Guide. 
This  is  the  true  assurance  ;  and  far  from  saying,  that 
with  the  Holy  Ghost,  without  a  visible  tribunal,  one 
cannot  be  sure  of  being  received  in  grace,  it  must,  on 
the  contrary,  be  confessed  that  the  Holy  Ghost  alone 
can  give  us  well-grounded  peace. 

Observe,  madam,  that  the  assurance  of  which  I 
here  speak,  is  the  assurance  of  salvation,  not  an  as- 
surance of  infallibility.  I  do  not  state  that  the  soul 
of  the  believer  will  be  so  enlightened  on  every  point 
of  doctrine,  that  it  cannot  fall  into  error  on  any  ques- 
tion. I  only  say,  that  it  will  be  so  enlightened  on 
the  fundamentals  of  the  faith,  that  it  cannot  be  mis- 
taken therein.  For  there  are  fundamental  points 
which  are  essential  to  salvation  ;  and  there  are  other 
points  of  which,  however  important  they  may  be  in 
themselves  (for  nothing  is  indifferent  in  the  word  of 
God),  we  may,  nevertheless,  remain  ignorant  with- 
out causing  the  loss  of  our  souls.  You  must  not  take 
offence  at  this  distinction.  Every  one  is  obliged  to 
make  it :  and  the  Abbe  Favien,  for  instance,  regards 
both  Fenelon  and  Bossuet  as  true  Christians,  though 
they  were  not  entirely  agreed  between  themselves. 
How  is  this,  unless  it  be  that  he  considers  the  points 
on  which  they  were  united  as  of  more  importance 
than  those  on  which  they  were  divided  ?  Scripture 
itself  has  given  us  the  example  of  this  ;  it  suffices  to 


OF    THE    BIBLE.  193 

study  it  with  some  attention  I  r,  noi  only  that 

there  are  fundamental  points,  but  also  to  discern  what 
they  are  ;  and  to  draw  up  the  List  required  by  the  au- 
thor of  your  objections.*  It'  it  be  true,  thai  Bossuet 
a>kcd  Claude  whether  a  poor  old  woman  mighl  be  in 
the  righl  when  opposed  to  a  whole  council,  and  that 

•  The  doctrine  of  fundamental  points  is  established  by  St.  Paul, 
1  Cor.  iii.  10—15;  for  it  follows  Irom  this  passage  that  we  cannot 
be  ignorant  of  "  the  foundation  which  is  J^sus  Christ,"  without 
being  lost  ;  but  that  there  are  other  points  on  which  one  may  err, 
and  nevertheless  "  be  saved,  yet  so  as  by  fire.'1 

••  Hut  who  will  undertake  to  draw  up  the  list  of  fundamental 
points?"  This  is  a  favorite  question  among  the  controversialists 
of  the  Roman  Catholic  church.  To  this,  two  answers  may  be 
given. 

In  the  first  place,  this  task  would  not  be  so  difficult  as  they  ap- 
pear to  imagine.  The  work  is  already  performed  in  the  Bible  ; 
and  we  have  only  to  distinguish  what  it  has  distinguished.  Thus, 
when  St.  Paul,  interrogated  by  the  jailer  of  Philippi  as  to  what  he 
mu>t  do  to  be  saved,  replies,  ••  Believe  on  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ, 
and  thou  shalt  be  saved,"  Acts  xvi.  31,  there  is  evidently  a  refer- 
ence to  a  fundamental  point  ;  and  when  the  same  St.  Paul,  writing 
to  men  who  were  believers,  and  converted,  says,  ••  Let  us.  there- 
fore, as  many  as  be  perfect,  be  thus  minded:  and  if  in  anything  ye 
be  otherwise  minded,  God  shah  reveal  even  this  unto  you.'*  Phil. 
iii.  15,  he  evidently  alludes  to  points  which  are  not  fundamental. 
One  might  be  aided  in  this  research  by  taking  the  most  accredited 
creeds  of  the  different  Christian  communions  :  for  instance,  that 
of  the  council  of  >"ice,  that  of  the  council  of  Trent,  that  of  the 
reformed  church  of  France,  that  of  the  church  of  England,  that 
of  the  Lutheran  church  •  selecting  from  them  those  articles  which 
are  common  to  all. 

But  this  task,  to  go  on  to  my  second  reflection,  would  not  be 
absolutely  necessary.  It  is  so  for  those  who  wish  to  instruct  oth- 
ers ;  but  it  is  not  so  when  there  is  a  reference  only  to  our  personal 
salvation.  For  there  may  be,  and  doubtless  there  are,  persons 
who  know  all  tliat  is  necessary  to  salvation,  without  being  able  ex- 
actly to  explain  what  are  the  necessary  articles.  It  is  one  thing  to 
believe  ;  it  is  another  to  be  able  to  write  a  formula  of  one's  belief. 
If  a  mother  sives  a  child  a  sufficient  quantity  of  wholesome  food, 
without  teaching  it  to  analyze  the  different  substances  of  which  it 
is  composed,  or  to  appreciate  the  greater  or  less  need  it  may 
have  of  each  of  them,  will  the  child  be  less  nourished?  The 
great  point  is,  that  the  mother  should  not  be  mistaken.  It  also 
suffices  for  us,  in  a  strict  sense,  that  God  should  be  perfectly  aware 
of  what  are  fundamental  points,  and  of  what  are  not.  Even  should 
we  not  be  capable  of  discerning  this  ourselves,  it  is  enough  thai 
God  is,  and  that  he  has  promised  not  to  leave  us  ignorant  of  what 
is  necessary  to  our  salvation  ;  and  he  promises  this  in  more  than 
a  hundred  passages. 

17 


194  INTERPRETATION 

Claude  was  embarrassed  at  this  question,  it  was  a 
want  of  faith  on  his  part ;  he  should  boldly  have  re- 
plied, "Yes."  For  it  may  be  that  this  poor  old  wo- 
man had  the  Spirit  of  God,  and  that  this  assembly 
of  bishops  had  it  not.  Else  what  signifies  this  prayer 
of  our  Saviour  :  "  1  thank  thee,  O  Father,  Lord  of 
heaven  and  earth,  because  thou  hast  hid  these  things 
from  the  wise  and  prudent,  and  hast  revealed  them 
unto  babes.  Even  so,  Father  :  for  so  it  seemed  good 
in  thy  sight,"  Matt.  xi.  25,  26  The  pious  widow 
of  Sarepta  was  in  the  right,  against  all  the  priests, 
and  almost  all  the  prophets,  of  her  time,  i  Kings 
xvii.,  connected  with  1  Kings  xix.  Rahab  was  in 
the  right  against  all  the  people  of  Jericho,  its  king, 
and  its  priests.  Lydia  was  in  tire  right  against  all 
the  magistrates  of  Philippi ;  and  the  thief  who  was 
crucified  beside  our  Saviour  was  in  the  right  against 
the  whole  sanhedrim  (the  council  of  the  Jewish 
church.)  Yes,  madam,  and  this  poor  old  woman, 
despised  by  the  sage  Bossuet,  may  be  so  strength- 
ened by  the  word  of  God,  that  she  may  say  with  St. 
Paul,  "  I  am  persuaded,  that  neither  death,  nor  life, 
nor  angels,  nor  principalities,  nor  powers,  nor  things 
present,  nor  things  to  come,  nor  height,  nor  depth,  nor 
any  other  creature,  shall  be  able  to  separate  us  from 
the  love  of  God,  which  is  in  Christ  Jesus  our  Lord," 
Rom.  viii.  38,  39.  0,  madam,  when  will  this  language 
be  yours  ? 

I  now  come  to  your  third  difficulty,  madam,  which, 
if  I  may  judge  by  experience,  is  the  most  important 
of  them  all,  and  that  on  which  the  priest  must  have 
laid  the  greatest  stress.  "  How  can  there  be  unity 
in  the  church  without  a  visible  tribunal  ?" 

This  point,  however,  is  not  so  important  as  it  is 
represented  ;  that  which  we  have  just  considered  is 
much  more  so.  For  truth  is  union  with  God  ;  unity 
is  union  with  men.  Truth  without  unity  would  still 
save  us  ;  but  unity  in  error  would  consign  us  to  perdi- 


OF    THE    BIBLE.  195 

don.  At  the  Bame  time,  I  am  far  from  denying  that 
unity  is  most  desirable,  and  that  it  is  strongly  recom- 
mended by  Scripture  ;  but  in  what  consists  this 
unity  which  Christ  enjoins  upon  his  church  .' 

There   is   an   external  and  visible  unity,  and  there 
is  a  unitv  which  is  internal  and  invisible.     The  for- 
mer is  thai  which  exists  between  two  men  who  be- 
long to  the  same  religious  denomination,  who  follow 
the  Bame  pastors,  who  communicate  at  the  same  table. 
The  second  is  that  which  exists  between  two  men 
who  have  the  same  sentiments,  the  same  mind,  the 
:ame   heart.     One    can  conceive   these   two   unities 
inited,  and  this  is  indeed  a  lovely  sight ;  but  the  one  is 
Often  seen  without  the  other.     Two  men  may  be  ex- 
ternally and  visibly  united  in  the  same  communion, 
tfough  one  may  have  faith  in  his  heart,  and  the  other 
miy  not ;  so  indeed  that  the  one  may  walk  in  the  road 
wfich  leads  to  heaven,  and  the  other  in  that  which 
lea's  to  hell.     This  is  an  earthly  and  temporal  union, 
wh.-;h  ends  by  eternal  separation.     Two  other  men 
ma) be  inwardly  and  invisibly  united,  both  having 
faitlin  their  hearts,  though  they  may  belong  to  dif- 
feret  communions  :  no  matter,  both  are  in  the  way  to 
heavn.     If  they  do  not  go  hand  in  hand  to  heaven, 
theyvill  join  hands  when  they  arrive  there.     Theirs 
is  a  -ief  separation,  which  ends  in  an  eternal  union. 
Of  tl»se  two  unities,  madam,  which  is,  in  your  opin- 
ion, 'lit  to  which  Christ  attached  the  most  importance  ? 
Thcecond,  without  dispute.     Surely  there  is  more 
unityvvhen  both  go  to  heaven  under  different  names, 
than/hen,  with  the  same  name,  one  goes  to  heaven, 
the  Cier  to  hell.     Moreover,  the  primitive   church 
itselfiad  not  the   complete   enjoyment  of  outward 
unity  Between   the   Christians  who  had  left   the 
synajgue,  and  those  who  had  abandoned  paganism, 
there  as  some  diversity  of  opinion  and  practice  ;  and 
the  ajstles  endeavored  less  to  effect  its  dissipation, 


196  [INTERPRETATION 

than  to  maintain  'Mho  unity  of  the  Spirit  in  the  bond 
of  peace,"  Eph.  iv.  3-6. 

With  our  principles,  madam, what  then  is  the  kind 
of  unity  in  which  we  maybe  wanting?  It  is  external 
unity.     I  confess,  it  every  one  reads  the  Holy  Scrip- 
tures, with  prayer  for  the  aid  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  and 
without  having  recourse  to  a  visible  tribunal,  several 
distinct  churches  may  be  formed,  according  to  the 
spirit  of  the  age,  the  genius  of  nations,  the  character 
of  pastors.     There   may  be  a  Lutheran  church  in 
Germany,  an  Episcopal  church  in  England,  a  Presby« 
terian  church  in  Scotland  and  France.     But  the  in- 
ward unity  of  minds,  far  from  being  hindered  by  our 
plan,  will  be  its  necessary  consequence  ;  for  the  Hoy 
Spirit  is  one.     He  has  promised  to  all  those  who  aik 
it,  the  aid  of  his  light  ;   and  this  light  is  one.     Ie 
shows   them  the  way  of  life,  and  this  way  is  oie. 
He  inspires  them  with  charity,  and  charity  is  <ne. 
He  reveals  to  them  "  one  God,"  the  Father  ofall, 
"  one  Lord,"  the  Saviour  of  all,  and  reveals  himelf 
to  them  as  "  one  Spirit."    Two  souls  who  have  pgsed 
through  this  school,  and  who  have  really  profit^  by 
it,  can  only  have,  in  the  main,  the  same  doctrine  the 
same  hope,  the  same  baptism,  the  same  feeling?  the 
same  language.     This  is  what  a  father  of  the  cbrch 
required  :   In  necessariis  unitas ;  that  is  to  say^nity 
in  essentials. 

This  unity  will  exist,  madam,  in  spite  of  crtain 
differences  on  points  of  secondary  importance.  If  a 
Tahitian,  converted  to  the  Christian  faith,  by  3  in- 
structions of  a  missionary  belonging  either  1  the 
English  or  Lutheran  churches,  came  to  visit  ie,  I 
can  assure  you  beforehand,  that  I  should  find  rrself 
one  with  him.  We  should  find  that,  at  a  distate  of 
two  thousand  leagues  from  each  other,  we  h:  the 
same  experience,  acquired  the  same  light,  leaed  to 
invoke  the  same  God,  the  same  Saviour,  th<same 
Spirit ;  and  when  we  shall  have  rejoiced  togeer  in 


OF    THE    BIBLE.  197 

the  loving  kindness  of  Christ,  when  we  shall  have 
bowed  the  knee  together  before  him,  when  we  Bhall 
together  have  thanked  him  for  giving  us  "one  heart 
and  our  mind;"  think  you  that.  I  should  grow  cold 
towards  my  brother  when  I  learned  that  he  bore  a 
different  name  from  mine,  and  that  he  did  not  follow 
with  me  the  Master  whom  he  follows  like  me,  and 
better  than  I  do  ? 

And  more  :  not  only  may  this  divergence  on  sec- 
ondary points  exist  without  disturbing  the  union  of 
hearts,  but  it  may  in  a  manner  foster  it.  It  exercises 
toleration  ;  it  humbles  our  pride  ;  it  excites  us  to 
search  the  Scriptures  with  holy  emulation  ;  it  obliges 
us  to  cling  more  closely  to  the  foundation  which  is 
common  to  all — "  Christ  and  him  crucified."  Where- 
fore, in  expectation  of  the  time  when  the  Head  of  the 
church  shall  join  his  people  into  "  one  fold,  under 
one  shepherd,"  we  affirm  that  all  men,  who  are  really 
led  by  the  Spirit,  will  be  united  in  heart;  and  that 
they  will  be  so  in  proportion  as  they  possess  more 
piety  and  more  charity.  I  add,  that  this  unity  is  the 
best  means  of  attaining  the  other  ;  and  that  it  is  by  be- 
ginning to  have  one  mind,  that  we  shall  end  by  form- 
ing one  body. 

Lastly,  madam,  it  appears  to  you,  or  rather  to  .the 
priest  who  has  suggested  your  objections,  that  if  every 
one  may  read  the  Bible,  under  the  direction  of  the 
Holy  Ghost,  the  ministry  of  pastors  becomes  useless. 

That  pastors  are  not  infallible,  that  they  are  not  so 
necessary  but  that  we  may  be  saved  without  them,  I 
agree  ;  but  that  does  not  prevent  them  from  being 
useful,  very  useful  :  infallibility  and  usefulness  are 
two  very  different  things.  You  do  not  think  yourself, 
madam,  an  infallible  mother;  nor  so  indispensable  to 
your  children,  that  they  would  be  deprived  of  every 
means  of  instruction,  should  they  have  the  misfortune 
10  lose  you;  but  do  you  thence  conclude  that  your 
cares  are  useless  to  them?  There  is  no  infallible 
17* 


198  INTERPRETATION 

teacher  in  any  science  :  is  it,  therefore,  useless  that 
there  should  be  masters  and  professors  ?  Is  it  also 
useless  that  there  should  be  judges,  magistrates,  and 
princes,  because  they  are  not  infallible  in  their  deci- 
sions ? 

A  false  idea  is  entertained  of  the  pastoral  ministry. 
Religious  ministers  are  considered  as  a  separate  class 
of  beings,  surrounded  by  a  sort  of  mysterious  halo, 
and  who  serve  as  mediators  between  God  and  man ; 
but  it  is  not  in  this  light  that  they  are  described  in 
Scripture.  God  has  everywhere  established  a  hier- 
archy, and  has  given  authority  to  some  over  others. 
This  order  exists  in  the  family,  it  exists  in  the  state, 
it  exists  also  in  the  church ;.  hence  arises  the  pas- 
toral ministry.  Pastors  are  simply  the  guides  of  the 
churches. 

Under  the  Old  Testament,  one  tribe  was  reserved 
for  the  service  of  the  temple,  and  one  family  of  this 
tribe  for  the  immolation  of  the  victims ;  but  as  there 
no  longer  exists  a  temple  in  which  only  the  Lord 
will  be  invoked,  to  the  exclusion  of  every  other  place, 
neither  is  there  any  longer  a  priesthood.  The  veil 
of  the  temple  is  rent,  and  the  Holy  of  holies  is  open 
to  all  the  people.  And  Jeremiah  thus  expresses  him- 
self when  predicting  the  gospel  era :  "  They  shall 
teach  no  more  every  man  his  neighbor,  and  every 
man  his  brother,  saying,  Know  the  Lord :  for  they 
shall  all  know  me,  from  the  least  of  them  unto  the 
greatest  of  them,  saith  the  Lord :  for  I  will  forgive 
their  iniquity,  and  I  will  remember  their  sin  no 
more,"  Jer.  xxxi.  34.  St.  Peter,  in  his  turn,  calls 
the  Christian  church  a  generation  of  priests  :  "  Ye 
are  a  chosen  generation,  a  royal  priesthood,  a  holy 
nation,  a  peculiar  people  ;  that  ye  should  show  forth 
the  praises  of  him  who  hath  called  you  out  of  dark- 
ness into  his  marvellous  light,"  1  Peter  ii.  9.  What 
was  formerly  reserved  for  a  privileged  class,  now 
belongs  to  all  the  people  of  God :    preaching,  the 


OF    THE    BIBLE.  199 

sacraments,  the  word  which  hinds  and  looses,  the 
discernment  of  doctrine  ;  all  these  gifts  are  accorded 
under  the  gospel,  not  to  a  few,  but  to  all.  If  some 
have  the  mission  of  dispensing  them,  it  is  for  the 
preservation  of  order,  and  as  the  delegates  of  all. 
The  pastoral  office  is  a  function,  not  a  privilege  ;  it 
is  an  administration,  not  a  priesthood. 

They  tell  you  that  the  pastoral  office,  thus  cur- 
tailed, answers  no  end  whatever.  And  I  say,  on  the 
contrary,  how  much  good  may  be  done  by  pastors 
who  consider  their  task  in  this  humble  point  of  view  ! 
There  is  no  fear  that  they  will  ever  place  themselves 
between  the  believer  and  his  God;  or  that  he  will 
ever  be  tempted  to  lay  upon  others  his  own  responsi- 
bility before  God.  Far  from  usurping  the  place  of 
Christ,  the  true  pastor  endeavors  to  retire,  that  his 
Master  may  alone  be  seen.  The  spirit  which  ani- 
mates him  is  that  of  John  the  Baptist,  who  said  to 
his  disciples,  while  showing  the  Lord,  "  He  must 
increase,  but  I  must  decrease,"  John  iii.  30.  Humble 
and  affecting  words,  which  ought  to  serve  as  a  motto 
to  every  minister  of  the  gospel !  There  is  no  reason 
why  such  a  pastor  should  confine  himself  to  reading 
the  Bible  ;  (though,  be  assured,  this  reading  which 
some  seem  to  disdain,  is  a  most  honorable  and  inte- 
resting function  in  his  eyes;)  he  also  explains  the 
word  of  God;  he  preaches  it.  The  voice  of  man, 
his  personal  experience,  the  accent  of  conviction ; 
all  these  have  so  much  power  over  the  hearts  of  the 
people.  What  the  book,  had  not  done  alone,  it  will 
do  when  explained  by  a  sinful  man,  who  draws  from 
this  very  infirmity,  which  he  shares  with  his  hearers, 
the  advantage  of  being  able  to  say  to  them,  "  I  have 
obtained  mercy  ;  I  believe,  and  therefore  have  I 
spoken,"  1  Tim.  i.  16;  2  Cor.  iv.  13.  What  a  glo- 
rious sight,  a  sinner  saved  by  grace,  announcing  the 
same  grace  to  other  sinners  !  And  when  they  also 
see  the  servant  of  Christ  governing  the  affairs  of  the 


200  INTERPRETATION 

church,  administering  the  sacraments,  instructing 
children  and  young  persons,  visiting  the  sick,  com- 
forting the  afflicted  ;  and  all  this  from  the  same  word 
of  God,  which  reveals  salvation  to  him  and  to  his 
flock ;  who  would  dare  to  accuse  his  ministry  of 
barrenness? 

In  constituting  him  a  priest,  a  sort  of  necessary 
mediator  between  God  and  the  sinner,  far  from  in- 
creasing his  usefulness,  they  diminish  it ;  for,  by 
rendering  himself  thus  prominent,  he  throws  Christ 
and  the  Holy  Spirit  into  the  shade  :  whereas,  it  is 
his  duty  and  his  mission  to  promote  their  undivided 
reign.  Then  he  would  exercise  over  the  men  whom 
ignorance  has  subjected  to  him,  an  oppressive  domi- 
nation. The  true  pastor  leads  by  the  word  of  God, 
men  whom  Christ  has  made  free.  He  loves  to  re- 
mind them  of  these  words  of  Christ :  "  One  is  your 
Master,  even  Christ ;  and  all  ye  are  brethren,"  Matt. 
xxiii.  8  ;  whence  he  draws  this  conclusion,  with  St. 
Cyril  of  Jerusalem :  "  You  must  not  take  my  word 
for  what  I  tell  you,  without  having  ascertained  that 
my  instructions  are  borne  out  by  the  Holy  Scrip- 
tures." What  faithfulness,  what  dignity  is  in  this 
language  !  and  how  much  confidence  it  shows  in 
those  that  hold  it  in  the  truth  which  they  announce ! 
Let  them  give  us  such  pastors  as  these,  and  we  will 
be  subject  to  them,  as  God  commands  :  "  Obey  them 
that  have  the  rule  over  you,  and  submit  yourselves  : 
for  they  watch  for  your  souls,  as  they  that  must  give 
account,  that  they  may  do  it  with  joy,  and  not  with 
grief:  for  that  is  unprofitable  for  you,"  Heb.  xiii.  17 
But  a  man  who  interposes  between  the  Lord  and  me 
— a  man  without  whom  I  cannot  have  any  intercourse 
with  God — a  man  who  receives  the  Holy  Spirit  in 
my  place ;  I  will  have  none  of  him.  Jews  may  have 
said  to  Moses,  "  Speak  thou  with  us,  but  let  not  God 
speak  with  us,"  Exod.  xx.  19;  but  such  is  not  the 
language  of  Christian  faith.     Speak,  will  we  rather 


OF    THE    BIBLE.  201 

Bay;  speak,  Lord  ;  thy  servants  hearken :  thy  sheep 

know  thy  voice! 

These  are  my  answers,  madam,  to  the  four  diffi- 
culties vim  propose.  Let  believers  have  the  Holy 
Spirit,  and  they  will  have  no  need  of  the  authority 
which  may  be  exercised  by  a  visible  judge  of  con- 
troversies ;  nor  of  the  assurance  that  he  may  give  ; 
nor  of  the  unity  that  he  may  produce  ;  nor  of  the 
pastoral  ministry  that  he  may  authorize.  If  they 
have  not  the  Holy  Spirit,  what  I  have  said  is,  of 
course,  no  longer  applicable  :  left  to  an  interpretation 
of  their  own,  they  leave  Christianity,  and  fall  into 
rationalism.  Then,  I  agree,  the  faithful  will  have 
no  true  authority,  no  true  assurance,  no  true  unity, 
nor  any  true  pastoral  ministry  :  but  neither  could 
they  have  them  with  the  visible  tribunal,  even  were 
it  infallible.  They  would  only  have  the  appearance 
of  them.  Why  ?  because,  being  visible  and  external, 
this  tribunal  only  possesses  a  visible  and  external 
action :  whereas,  the  religion  of  Christ  is  addressed 
to  the  heart,  and  requires  that  God  should  be  wor- 
shipped "  in  spirit  and  in  truth  ;"  and  hence  a  merely 
external  influence  can  never  serve  its  purpose.  On 
the  contrary,  it  falsifies  and  distorts  that  which  it 
professes  to  explain.  When  the  quarrel  between 
Fenelon  and  Bossuet  was  decided  at  Rome,  against 
the  former,  Fenelon  might  withdraw  his  book ;  he 
might  retract  it ;  he  might  burn  it ;  but  think  you 
that  he  could  inwardly  abandon  his  conviction,  merely 
because  it  had  been  condemned  at  Rome  ?  He  could, 
had  he  been  convinced  of  error  by  the  Holy  Spirit ; 
because  the  Holy  Spirit  would,  at  the  same  time, 
have  impressed  his  soul  with  a  new  view  of  the  sub- 
ject :  but  he  could  not  with  the  visible  tribunal  of 
Rome,  which  has  no  dominion  over  the  mind.  So 
that  this  boasted  infallible  authority — this  judge  of 
controversies,  which  professes  to  terminate  them  all, 
in  reality  terminates  nothing.     Its  rights  end  where 


202  INTERPRETATION 

true  religion  begins;  it  steps  at  the  door  of  the  sanc- 
tuary; it  rules  all,  except  the  heart,  which  is  the 
first  thing  to  he  ruled  :  the  heart  which  God  has 
commanded  to  be  "  kept  with  all  diligence."  It  de- 
crees, it  canonizes,  it  excommunicates,  it  sometimes 
kills  and  tortures  ;  but  it  toucheth  not ;  it  converteth 
not ;  it  unite th  not :  all  this  belongs  to  the  Holy  Spirit 
alone.  The  Holy  Spirit  alone  answers  every  pur- 
pose ;  and  in  receiving  it  you  will  sec  all  your  diffi- 
culties vanish. 

And  whence  arise  these  difficulties  ?  Merely  be- 
cause the  promise  of  the  Holy  Spirit  is  not  believed. 
No,  madam,  it  is  not  believed.*  It  is  believed,  in- 
deed, for  the  priests,  but  it  is  not  believed  for  every 
Christian  ;  and  false  notions  are  entertained  of  the 
Spirit,  which  is  believed  in  for  the  priests.  I  once 
heard  a  Cure,  with  whom  I  was  discussing  the  sub- 
ject, say,  "  I,  indeed,  have  received  the  Holy  Spirit, 
since  I  was  in  orders."  Truly,  madam,  the  Holy 
Spirit  which  is  communicated  by  certain  rules,  cer- 
tain exercises,  a  certain  costume,  is  not  the  Spirit  of 
which  I  have  spoken  to  you  in  this  and  the  preced- 
ing letter.  The  Holy  Spirit  which  God  has  promis- 
ed is  not  believed  in  for  the  faithful  in  general ;  and 
for  the  priests  some  other  Holy  Spirit  is  believed  in, 
of  which  God  has  never  spoken.  Your  objections 
have  no  other  cause.  They  want  a  visible  authority, 
because  they  are  unacquainted  with  the  invisible 
authority  which  resides  in  the  Holy  Ghost.  They 
want  a  visible  assurance,  because  they  know  not  the 
invisible  assurance  which  the  Holy  Ghost  imparts. 
They  want  a  visible  unity,  because  they  know  not  the 

*  Mr.  Mercier  here,  and  in  the  following  pages,  speaks  of  the 
doctrine  of  the  Romish  church,  such  as  it  exists  in  practice,  and  in 
real  life.  That  there  is  another  in  their  theological  trealises,  and 
especially  in  their  apologies,  is  very  possible  ;  out  this  neither  en- 
lightens nor  saves  the  people.  It  has  been  more  than  once  remark- 
ed, the  Romish  church  has  one  doctrine  for  controversy  and  another 
for  practice  ;  and  it  is  in  the  latter  that  its  true  spirit  is  discovered. 


OF    THE    BIBLE.  203 

invisible  unity  produced  by  the  Holy  Ghost.  They 
want  a  visible  priesthood,  because  they  know  not  this 
invisible  priesthood,  which  Christ  exercises  through 
the  Holy  Ghost.  In  a  word,  they  want  an  entirely 
visible  economy,  because  they  know  not  the  Holy 
Ghost,  and  do  not  understand  that  his  inward  and  in- 
visible action  is  the  characteristic  and  privilege  of  the 
new  covenant. 

It  is  written  in  the  New  Testament,  "  We  look  not 
at  the  things  which  are  seen,  but  at  the  things  which 
are  not  seen,"  2  Cor.  iv.  18.  Your  priests  have  re- 
versed this  order.  To  hear  them,  "  the  things  which 
are  not  seen"  cannot  suffice  us  ;  we  everywhere  re- 
quire "  the  things  which  are  seen  ;"  a  visible  tribunal, 
which  interprets  the  Scriptures,  instead  of  the  unseen 
Spirit,  which  explains  them  to  the  heart  of  the  be- 
liever ; — a  visible  head,  who  "  walketh  before  us,"* 
instead  of  this  unseen  King,  who  governs  his  church, 
seated  in  heaven,  at  the  right  hand  of  God  ; — a  worship 
altogether  visible  and  external,  instead  of  that  unseen 
adoration,  which  takes  place  "  in  spirit  and  in  truth;" 
— a  visible  absolution,  which  strikes  upon  the  outward 
ears  ; — a  visible  sacrifice,  which  we  can  see  with 
our  eyes,  touch  with  our  hands,  convey  to  our  mouth; 
— a  visible  sign,  which  applies  the  sacrifice  of  Christ 
to  our  bosom  ; — a  visible  cross,  which  we  can  take 
into  our  hands,  and  kiss  with  our  lips ; — visible  images, 
before  which  we  can  prostrate  ourselves  ; — a  visible 
mark  of  salvation  on  the  dying. 

Constant  appeal  is  made  to  what  is  called  the  faith ; 
and  in  refusing  to  believe  all  that  is  enjoined,  you  fear 
to  be  wanting  in  faith.  This  is  a  strange  confusion 
of  terms.  The  faith  of  which  they  boast,  is  quite 
contrary  to  that  which  is  so  strongly  enforced  in  the 

*  Le5  the  reader  pursue  this  comparison.  He  will  find  consider- 
able resemblance  between  the  spirit  which  animated  the  Israelites 
on  this  occasion,  and  that  which  appears  in  the  arguments  of  the 
apologists  of  the  Romish  church.     1  Sam.  xii.  2-12. 


204  INTERPRETATION 

gospel.  The  faith  of  the  gospel  is  opposed  to  sight; 
for  it  is  written,  "  We  walk  by  faith,  ool  by  sight;" 
"  Blessed  arc  they  that  have  not  seen,  and  yet  have 
believed  ;"  "  Faith  is  the  evidence  of  things  not  seen." 
2  Cor.  v.  7  ;  John  xx.  29;  Heb.  xi.  1.  But  the  faith 
of  your  priests  rests  entirely  on  sight;  for  it  only  ap- 
plies to  things  which  are  seen  with  the  eyes,  and 
heard  with  the  ears.  Here  is  the  explanation  of  this 
difference.  Their  faith  is  faith  in  man  ;  the  faith  of 
the  gospel  is  faith  in  God.  Follow  the  counsels  of 
your  priests,  madam,  and  you  will,  in  effect,  have 
much  faith,  but  it  will  be  in  the  priests.  Follow  those 
which  1  make  bold  to  give  you ;  or  rather,  follow  the 
commandment  of  God  in  his  word,  and  you  will  have 
less  faith  in  man,  but  you  will  have  more  in  God. 
You  will  have  faith  in  his  word  ;  you  will  have  faith 
in  "  the  things  which  are  not  seen,"  and  which  "  are 
eternal ;"  you  will  have  confidence  in  that  which  is 
the  true  object  of  faith.  Ah  !  it  is  not  surprising  that 
the  maxims  of  your  priests  should  seduce  the  people, 
and  that  ours  should  startle  them.  Man  likes  so  much 
to  see,  so  little  to  believe.  But  that  which  pleases  in 
their  doctrine  is  against  them ;  and  that  which  as- 
tonishes in  ours  is  in  our  favor.  The  faith  which  is 
recommended  to  you  arises  from  a  principle  of  unbe- 
lief; and  what  is  called  our  incredulity,  proceeds 
from  a  principle  of  faith.  Whatever  they  may  say,  it 
is  to  the  yoke  of  man  that  they  would  subject  you. 
This  yoke  is  imposed  in  God's  name  ;  but  it  places 
man  constantly  in  view,  and  God  is  forgotten ;  so 
easily  do  we  forget  him  ! 

Your  priests  say  much  of  the  difficulties  of  the  path 
on  which  I  urge  you  to  enter.  But  even  should  these 
difficulties  be  such  as  they  are  represented,  which  I 
have  shown  that  they  are  not,  it  remains  to  be  ascer- 
tained if  we  should  not  find  difficulties  infinitely  greater 
in  the  way  which  Mr.  Favien  advises  you  to  adopt. 
The  reply  I  here  make  to  his  objections  is  that  wrhich 


OF    THE    BIBLE.  205 

he  has  himself  made  to  the  objections  of  Mr.  dc  Las- 
salle.  "The  difficulties  which  you  advance,  as  a  re- 
proach againsl  Christianity,"  said  he, "  are  nothing  to 
those  of  infidelity,  which  you  entirely  overlook."  I 
say,  in  my  turn,  The  difficulties  you  see  in  the  doc- 
trine of  the  Holy  Spirit,  are  not  to  be  compared  to 
those  which  embarrass  your  visible  tribunal.*  The 
prejudiced  mind  of  the  Abbe  does  not  perceive  them  ; 
la:',  you,  madam,  may  turn  your  attention  to  them  for 
a  moment. 

If  there  docs  indeed  exist  upon  earth  an  infallible 
tribunal,  established  by  God  for  the  interpretation  of 
the  Scriptures,  to  which  it  is  necessary  to  submit,  in 
onhr  to  salvation,!  how  is  it  that  the  seat  of  this  in- 
fallibility, the  first  point  necessary  to  be  ascertained, 
can  never  be  exactly  and  positively  determined  ;  and 
that  there  are  interminable  disputes  as  to  where  the 
infallibility  lies — in  the  bishops  of  Rome,  in  the 
councils,  or  in  some  inexplicable  union  of  both,?  How 
is  it  that  they  have  never  been  able  to  find,  in  sup- 
of  this  infallibility,  on  which  they  pretend  to 
the  salvation  of  the  whole  world,  proofs  solid, 
palpable,  natural,  and  adapted  to  every  one's  capa- 
city .'  How  is  it,  especially,  that  Holy  Scripture,  so 
explicit  on  every  fundamental  point,  has  not  once 
expressed  itself  clearly  on  an  infallible  church ;  and 
that  it  has  abandoned  the  defenders  of  its  infallibility 
to  the  fallible  testimony  of  reason  and  tradition  ? 
How  is  it  that  they  are  afraid  of  a  book,  which  they 
acknowledge  to  be  the  word  of  God ;  that  they  con- 
ceal it  from  the   people  ;    that  they  only  allow  its 

*  One  view  of  this  idea  is  admirably  developed  in  an  English 
work  :  "  The  Difficulties  of  Romanism.  By  G.  S.  Faber.'-*  The 
mine  author  has  written  a  book,  not  less  distinguished,  on  "  The 
Difficulties  of  Infidelity."  One  of  these  works  has  been  of  great 
u>f  to  us  in  our  first  part ;  and  the  other  in  the  second. 

f  Thus  teaches  the  council  of  Trent :  "  I  engage  to  retain  and 
to  confess  this  true  Catholic  faith,  without  which  no  one  can  be 
saved.''    Prof.  Fid.  Trident.,  in  Syllog.  Conies.,  p.  5. 
18 


206  INTERPRETATION 

perusal  with  unheard-of  precautions  ;*  that  it  is  the 
most  frequently  interdicted  in  the  vulgar  tongue  ;  that 
there  are  so  many  priests,  who  repel,  and  who  burn 
it?  How  is  it  that  the  chief  authorities  of  this  infal- 
lible church,  that  popes,  that  councils,  should  be 
found  in  flagrant  contradiction  one  to  another,  some- 
times even  in  open  quarrel ;  and  that  they  cannot  be 
reconciled  without  having  recourse  to  the  most  subtle, 
the  most  unwarrantable  distinctions  ?f  How  is  it  that 
this  infallible  church  has  taught,  and  still  teaches, 
doctrines  evidently  opposed  to  the  clearest  declara- 
tions of  Scripture  ?  Witness  the  worship  of  Mary, 
and  of  the  saints,  which  it  cannot  bear  to  hear  called 
idolatry,  but  for  which  it  only  thought  itself  able  to 
vouch  by  suppressing  that  one  of  the  ten  command- 
ments which  forbids  idolatry  ?  thus  condemning  itself 
for  its  own  justification.  How  is  it  that  a  great  num- 
ber of  the  heads  of  this  infallible  church,  of  these 
pretended  vicars  of  Christ,  have  been  men  impious, 
wicked,  perfidious,  and  debauched  ;  and  that  the  his- 
tory of  the  popes  is  one  of  the  most  shameful  pages 
in  the  annals  of  human  nature  ;  whilst  the  true  inter- 
preters of  the  Divine  mind,  the  men  whom  God 
inspired  to  write  the  Old  and  New  Testaments,  form 
a  constellation  of  saints  ?  How  is  it  that  this  infalli- 
ble church  has  executed,  or  decreed,  as  a  church, 
and  in  the  name  of  its  popes,  or  of  its  councils,  some 
of  the  most  execrable  crimes  of  which  the  history  of 
mankind  has  preserved  the  remembrance  ;.  that  it  has 
organized,  or  caused  to  be  organized,  by  secular 
power,  (it  matters  little  which,)  a  system  of  oppres- 

*  See  a  decree  of  the  council  of  Trent,  which  we  have  already 
quoted.  "  The  Scriptures,"  says  Hermannus,  "  are  of  no  more 
value  than  the  fables  of  Ksop, if  they  are  deprived  of  the  authority 
of  the  church."  Another  author  thus  expresses  himself:  "  The 
Scriptures  are  like  a  nose  of  wax,  to  which  any  man  may  give  the 
form  he  pleases."  (V.  Baill.,  Tract.  1,  quaest.  17;  Albert  Pigh., 
Hier.  Eccles.,  lib.  iii.  c.  3.) 

f  Examples  of  this  may  be  seen  in  Faber,  "  Difficulties  of  Ro- 
manism," p.  247,  etc. 


OF    THE    BIBLE.  207 

sion  and  torture,  surpassing-  in  cruelty  all  that  lias 
been  found  among  pagans  themselves  ;  thai  it  has 
shed  more  Christian  blood  than  ancient  Rome,  iii  her 
ten  merciless  persecutions;  and  has  put  to  death,  on 
one  single  occasion,  a  million  of  French  subjects?* 
How  is  it  that  the  council  of  Constance,  a  general 
council,  joining  perjury  to  barbarity,  burned  John 
Huss,  who  came  to  Constance  on  the  faith  of  a  safe 
conduct;  justifying  themselves  by  the  detestable 
maxim,  that  oaths  contrary  to  the  interests  of  the 
church  are  not  binding  ?f  How  is  it  that  this  church 
acts  in  direct  opposition  to  the  spiritual  character  of 
the  gospel ;  that  it  thinks  more  of  external  govern- 
ment than  of  internal  holiness  ;  that  it  produces  men 
attached  to  outward  practices  and  forms,  rather  than 
men  of  faith  and  prayer  ;  that  it  has  constantly  dis- 
couraged those  amongst  its  members  who  have  laid 
special  stress  on  inward  purity ;  that  its  glory  is  in 
the  pomps  and  splendor  of  the  world,  when  Christ's, 
and  that  of  his  church,  are  in  self-denial  and  simpli- 
city ;  and  that,  instead  of  glorifying  God  and  his 
word,  it  tends  incessantly  to  put  man  in  God's  place 
— what  do  I  say  ?  to  raise  man,  in  some  sort,  above 
God  ?J  How  is  it  that  there  exists  among  the  greater 
part  of  those  who  defend  it,  at  the  present  day,  a  tone 
of  levity  and  profanity,  abuse,  and  revolting  calum- 
nies ;  so  many  means,  in  short,  which  truth  and 
charity  agree  to  disavow  ;  whilst  fair,  moderate,  and 
charitable  apologies,  like  that  of  Mr.  Favien,  are  rare 

*  The  Albigenses,  at  the  beginning  of  the  thirteenth  century. 

f  A  maxim  expressly  advanced  by  the  third  Laieran  council: — 
"  Oaths  contrary  to  the  interests  of  the  church,  and  to  the  precepts 
of  the  holy  fathers,  are  not  true  oaths,  but  perjuries."  It  would 
he  well,  also,  to  see  in  what  terms  the  council  of  Constance,  in  its 
turn,  supported  this  doctrine.  (Faber,  p.  253.) 

t  In  a  collection  of  hymns,  which  we  have  seen  in  the  hands  of 
the  people  of  Lyons,  are  found  these  impious  words: — "God  or- 
dains mortah  for  his  sacred  ministry ,  stamps  them  with  a  character 
of  holiness,  and  devotes  them  to  his  altars.  By  them  the  sinner 
becomes  righteous ;  heaven  is  subject  to  their  laws;  and,  in  an 
august  sacrifice,  even  God  obeys  their  voice." 


?-08  INTERPRETATION 

exceptions?  And,  lastly,  how  is  it  that  the  conduct 
pursued  by  this  church,  its  language,  its  worship,  in 
a  word,  its  whole  order,  present  bo  striking  a  pontrast 
to  every  idea  that  the  gospel  lias  <iiven  us  of  the 
Christianity  of  the  apostles:  and  that,  it  has,  on  the 
contrary,  so  fatal  a  resemblance  to  the  unfaithful 
church  announced  by  the  prophets,  which  will  forbid 
to  marry,  command  to  abstain  from  meats,  have  the 
form  of  godliness,  while  denying  its  power  ;  and  from 
a  city  seated  upon  seven  hills,  will  subject  to  its  do- 
minion almost  the  whole  of  Christendom  ? 

You  ask  if  I  am  a  Protestant,  madam.  I  hardly 
know  what  to  reply.  You  know  that  I  am,  by  birth, 
a  Catholic.  My  education,  my  habits,  my  affections, 
my  interests,  my  prejudices,  are  all  in  favor  of  the 
Catholic  church ;  but  the  arguments  I  have  unfolded 
in  my  various  letters  have  detached  me  from  it,  in 
spite  of  myself.  There  are,  nevertheless,  so  many 
excellent  things  in  this  Catholic  church  ;  it  has  so 
constantly  maintained  the  Divine  nature  of  Christ, 
which  several  sects  have  abandoned  ;  it  has  given  its 
name  to  so  many  pious  and  charitable  institutions ;  it 
has  reckoned  among  its  members  so  many  men  emi- 
nent for  knowledge  and  piety,  that  I  have  long  hesi- 
tated. I  also  feared,  in  separating  myself  from  it,  to 
lose  the  little  credit  1  may  have  with  my  friends,  and 
which  I  am  very  desirous  of  employing  for  their  in- 
struction. You  would  not  have  consulted  me,  madam, 
had  you  thought  me  a  declared  Protestant.  Yet  I 
feel  that  I  am  now  a  Protestant  in  reality;  for  the 
Reformation  goes  entirely  on  the  principle  which  I 
have  maintained  in  writing  to  you  ;  namely,  that  a 
Christian  can  and  ought  to  read  the  Bible  for  himself, 
with  prayer  for  the  light  of  the  Holy  Spirit.  This 
avowal  will,  perhaps,  offend  you.  1  have  only  been 
brought  to  this  after  many  conflicts  ;  conflicts  the 
most  sincere,  and  sometimes  the  most  painful  Even 
to  this  present  moment  I  have  not  made  a  public  pro- 


OF    THE    BIBLE.  209 

fessionof  Protestantism.  Either  from  deference  to  my 
family,  or  from  real  or  mistaken  prudence,  I  have  not 
yet  been  able  to  make  up  my  mind  to  receive  the 
communion  in  a  Protestant  church.  It  is  the  last 
step  that  remains  for  me  to  take;  perhaps  1  ought 
rather  to  say,  a  last  link  to  sever  ;  and  it  seems  to  me 
as  if  God  had  brought  about  this  correspondence,  to 
lead  me  to  acknowledge  its  necessity,  and  to  give  me 
the  requisite  courage. 

If  he,  also,  call  you  to  "  buy  the  truth,"  by  some 
painful  sacrifices  ;  if  he  oblige  you  to  separate  from 
the  good  Abbe  Favien,  you  must  resignedly  submit. 
The  Abbe  is  much  to  you,  I  conceive ;  but  your  Sa- 
viour is  still  more.  And  remember,  He  who  first  be- 
gan to  draw  you  towards  God,  was  not  the  Abbe;  it 
was  the  Holy  Spirit.  Yes,  madam,  this  Spirit,  to 
whose  guidance  they  dare  not  intrust  you,  spoke  to 
your  heart  when  as  yet  you  knew  him  not.  He  it 
was  who  opened  your  mind  to  the  proofs  of  the  truth 
of  Scripture  adduced  by  the  Abbe,  otherwise  they 
would  have  produced  no  effect  upon  you,  as  they  un- 
happily appear  not  to  have  made  any  impression  on 
Mr.  de  Lassalle.  He,  also,  it  was  who,  doubtless, 
inspired  you  with  the  thought  of  having  recourse  to 
my  poor  instructions  ;  for  he  purposely  chooses  feeble 
means,  that  the  success  maybe  ascribed  to  Him  alone. 
This  same  Spirit  is  now  waiting  to  lead  you  to  an- 
other voice,  more  powerful  than  that  of  man,  and 
which  alone  can  change  the  heart ;  to  the  voice  of  the 
Lord  Jesus  Christ;  who,  to  borrow  his  affecting  lan- 
guage, "  calleth  his  own  sheep  by  name."  May  he 
speak  to  you  himself,  madam !  May  he  "  enlighten 
the  eyes  of  your  understanding,"  and  "  call  you  out 
of  darkness  into  his  marvellous  light!"  Then  will 
vanish,  of  themselves,  all  this  "  philosophy  and  vain 
deceit,  after  the  tradition  of  men,  and  not  after  Christ," 
C<ol.  ii.  8.  Then  will  be  fulfilled  in  you  this  second 
birth,  without  which  none  can  see  the  kingdom  of 
18* 


210  INTERPRETATION 

God,  and  by  which  we  are  made  "  new  creatures," 
John  iii.  ] — 8.  And  then,  led  by  the  Spirit  of  God, 
you  can  call  him  "Abba;"  that  is  to  say,  your  "Fa- 
ther," Rom.  viii.  15,  and  enjoy  all  the  privileges  of 
his  children.  I  cannot  form  a  wish  more  worthy  of 
the  regard  which  I  feel  for  you. 


LETTER  XVII. 

LUCILLA   TO   MR.    MERCIER. 

I  have  received  your  letter,  sir,  and  am  still  agi- 
tated by  the  feelings  to  which  it  has  given  rise.  What 
is  there  in  your  letters  that  thus  shakes  my  inmost 
soul?  Those  of  the  Abbe  himself,  so  kind,  so  cha- 
ritable, did  not  produce  this  impression  upon  me. 

I  must  tell  you  the  whole  truth.  The  time  for 
precaution  is  gone  by.  Fear  not  to  have  offended 
me  by  speaking  as  you  have  done  of  the  two  church- 
es. Though  a  Catholic  by  position,  I  am  a  Protest- 
ant by  birth.  But,  as  you  say,  the  salvation  of  my 
soul  is  my  first  concern.  The  question  of  the  church 
will  come  after. 

In  your  first  letters  I  did  not  fully  apprehend  this 
wonderful  doctrine  of  the  Holy  Spirit.  Doubtless  I 
still  understand  it  but  imperfectly ;  nevertheless,  I 
seem  to  have  a  glimpse  of  it.  How  beautiful,  how 
very  beautiful  it  is !  I  still  fear  some  illusion.  Ex- 
altation must  be  easy  on  so  delightful  a  subject.  The 
objections  I  have  heard  can  no  longer  restrain  me. 
Independent  of  the  fact,  that  they  appear  sufficiently 
refuted  by  your  explanations,  they  cannot,  I  see, 
counterbalance  the  difficulties  which  are  found  on 
the  opposite  side,  and  of  which  I  had  never  before 
thought. 

Ah!  you  are  indeed  right,  when  you  say  that  I 


OF    THE    BIBLE.  211 

am  still  destitute  of  true  faith  '  But  this  faith,  sir,  in 
what  does  it  consist  '  1  shall  learn  this, you  say,  by 
reading  the  Holy  Scriptures.  1  ought  to  read  diem, 
doubtless;  yet  bear  with  me  again  in  this  mat 
there  is  in  the  Abbess  letter  a  point  on  which  you 
have  not  touched  :  1  mean  what  he  says  on  the  dan- 
ger connected  with  this  perusal.  It  had  not  at  first 
struck  me  :  but  I  have  been  reading  Fenelon's  letter 
on  the  Holy  Scriptures  ;  and  1  must  confess  that  I 
am  quite  stunned  by  it.  If  there  are  really  so  many 
things  in  the  Bible  which  might  shake  the  faith  of  the 
simple,  and  even  give  them  occasion  of  offence, 
would  it  not  be  better,  after  all,  that  I  should  confine 
myself  to  reading  choice  extracts  from  the  Scriptures, 
or  works  in  which  the  Christian  doctrine  is  explain- 
ed, but  with  the  suppression  of  those  features,  so 
strange,  or  so  opposed  to  the  delicacy  of  modern  re- 
finement ? 

I  began  to  read  several  books  of  this  description, 
and,  in  particular,  "  The  Imitation  of  Jesus  Christ." 
I  find  much  profit  in  its  perusal :  could  I  not  rest 
here  ?  There  are,  in  fact,  many  pious  people  who 
never  read  the  Bible ;  and  hardly  was  it  known  in 
our  rural  district  before  the  coming  of  the  colporteurs. 


LETTER  XVIII. 

MR.  MERCIER    TO   LUCILLA. 

Pretended  Dangers  in  the  Reading  of  the  Bible. 

It  is  not  from  forgetfulness,  madam,  that  I  have 
been  silent  on  the  dangers  which  are  feared  for  you, 
from  the  reading  of  the  Bible.  The  Abbe's  uneasi- 
ness on  this  subject  seemed  to  me  sufficiently  to  re- 
fute itself;  and  I  confess  that  I  could  not  but  feel 


212  INTERPRETATION 

painfully  impressed  by  this  part  of  his  letter.  It  ap- 
peared to  me  unworthy  of  him.  The  reading  of  the 
Bible  dangerous  !  and  he  who  says  this  considers  it  as 
the  word  of  God !  Can  prejudice  obtain  such  pow- 
er over  an  enlightened  mind  1  Besides,  I  flattered 
myself  that  my  first  letters  would  induce  you  to  read 
the  Scriptures  ;  and  had  you  done  so,  your  own  ex- 
perience would  have  shown  you  the  true  value  of  these 
unaccountable  fears.  But,  since  you  still  hesitate,  I 
will  make  an  effort,  in  spite  of  my  feelings,  to  show 
you  that  the  reading  of  the  Bible  is  not  dangerous. 
There  is  nothing  which  may  not  be  abused  ;  and 

1  do  not  deny  that  a  man  may  find  cause  of  offence 
in  reading  the  Bible.  It  could  offend  a  Voltaire, 
when  in  its  sacred  pages  he  sought  subjects  of  di- 
version for  the  profane  readers  of  his  profane  writ- 
ings. It  may  offend  others,  who,  without  carrying 
impiety  to  this  excess,  read  it,  nevertheless,  with  a 
prejudiced  mind,  or  a  heart  disposed  to  evil.  The 
preaching  of  the  gospel  was  also  "  to  the  Jews  a 
stumbling-block,  and  to  the  Greeks  foolishness,"  says 
St.  Paul,  1  Cor.  i.  23  ;  and  the  same  apostle  else- 
where writes  :  "  We  are  unto  God  a  sweet  savor  of 
Christ  in  them  that  are  saved,  and  in  them  that 
perish :  to  the  one  we  are  the  savor  of  death  unto 
death  ;  and  to  the  other  the  savor  of  life  unto  life," 

2  Cor.  ii.  15,  16.  Was  it  necessary,  on  this  account, 
to  abstain  from  the  preaching  of  the  apostles?  Cer- 
tainly not.  It  was  necessary  to  hear  them,  but  to 
hear  them  with  a  desire  for  instruction,  and  for  sal- 
vation. In  this  spirit,  also,  must  the  Bible  be  read  ; 
then  offence  is  impossible,  and  gives  place  to  edifi- 
cation. 

Let  us  begin  by  the  most  delicate  point,  that  of 
morals.  There  are,  it  is  said,  certain  things  in  the 
Bible,  which  may  inspire  the  reader  with  evil  thoughts, 
and  even  give  him  the  idea  of  evil  with  which  he  is 
unacquainted.     This  subject  gives  me  some  embar- 


OF    THE    BIBLE.  213 

rassment.  I  will  treat  it  briefly  and  clearly,  in  the 
manner  of  the  Bible  itself.  Living  in  a  world  which 
•  lieth  in  wickedness,"   1  John  v.  L9,  we  see  evil  all 

around  us  ;  we  feel  it  in  ourselves  :  we  cannot,  then, 
be  absolutely  ignorant  of  it;  and  the  problem  to  be 
solved  is  this:  "How  can  we  know  it  with  the 
least  possible  danger  '"  This  problem  the  Bible 
solves  with  a  wisdom,  a  purity  worthy  of  its  Author ; 
and  man  cannot  learn  to  know  evil  with  less  peril 
than  in  its  panes.  The  Bible  exposes  wickedness, 
or  rather  relates  it,  gravely,  briefly,  clearly;  yes, 
madam,  clearly  ;  calling  every  thing  by  its  name  : 
and  this  trait  which  is  urged  against  it  as  a  reproach, 
is  admirable.  It  shows  sin  in  its  shameful  naked- 
ness, and  does  not  cover  it  with  those  demi-transpar- 
ent  veils  which  only  serve  to  excite  indiscreet  curi- 
osity. It  is  in  the  Bible  that  we  learn  to  see  sin 
with  the  same  eye  that  God  sees  it,  and  to  turn  from 
it  with  holy  indignation.  That  which  elsewhere 
might  be  a  subject  of  temptation,  here,  in  God's  book, 
under  God's  eyes,  and,  as  it  were,  in  the  society 
of  the  most  faithful  of  God's  servants,  becomes  a 
humiliating  light,  and  a  salutary  warning.  I  am  so 
fully  convinced  of  this,  that  I  placed  the  Bible  in 
the  hands  of  my  children  as  soon  as  they  could  read, 
as  did  the  pious  mother  of  Timothy.*  Besides  the 
advantage  of  receiving  the  first  notions  of  evil  from 
the  holiest  of  books,  children  have  that  of  receiving 
them  at  an  age  when  the  ideas  from  which  injury  is 
apprehended  are  still  obscure  ;  and  when  they  be- 
come clearer,  long  and  respectful  custom  will  have 
taken  off  the  keen  edge  of  the  danger.  What  I  fear, 
is  not  the  guileless  simplicity  of  the  Bible  ;  it  is  rather 
the  concealments  of  the  world  ;  those  detestable 
equivocations  with  which  the  language  of  society  is 

*  2  Tim.  iii.  15.  The  words,  "  from  a  child,"  do  not  give  the 
fidl  force  of  the  original.  The  Greek  word  (jfytyos)  signifies  a 
child  in  the  earliest  stage  of  infancy. 


214  INTERPRETATION 

filled,  in  proportion  as  it  becomes  civilized,  or  rather 
as  it  becomes  immoral.  Among  the  ancients,  as 
among  the  moderns,  delicacy  of  language  has  in- 
creased in  proportion  as  purity  of  manners  has  been 
lost ;  and  the  most  ticklish  tongues  are  found  in  the 
most  corrupt  nations. 

In  line,  madam,  those  who  will  not  allow  the 
Bible  to  speak  to  mankind  of  evil,  what  do  they  sub- 
stitute in  its  place  ?  The  confessional !  You  can- 
not be  ignorant  of  the  revelations  which  have  more 
than  once  been  made  on  this  subject,  nor  of  the  real 
danger  which  the  confessional  substitutes  for  the 
imaginary  danger  of  the  Bible.  I  confine  myself  to 
three  questions  : — Is  it  better  to  learn  the  existence 
of  evil  from  the  mouth  of  a  man,  than  from  a 
book  ?  Is  it  better  to  learn  it  with  the  developments 
of  an  interrogatory,  where  the  omission  of  no  detail 
is  allowed,  than  in  a  brief  recital  wrhich  hastens  to 
conclude  the  painful  theme  ?  Lastly,  is  it  better  to 
learn  it  from  the  discourse  of  a  sinner,  ever  open  to 
temptation,  than  from  the  solemn  language  of  that 
God  who  "  cannot  be  tempted  with  evil  ?"  There 
are  no  people  so  moral  as  those  among  whom  every 
one  reads  the  Bible,  and  reads  it  from  his  childhood. 
Can  as  much  be  said  for  those  countries  from  which 
the  Bible  is  banished,  and  where  the  confessional 
holds  its  undivided  reign?  Hear  what  a  priest  has 
himself  told  me  : — "  Confession  is  truly  a  corrupting 
practice,  both  for  the  faithful,  to  whom  it  often  sug- 
gests the  idea  of  sins  previously  unknown  ;  and  for 
the  priest  himself,  whose  natural  lust  places  itself 
under  covert  of  ecclesiastical  obligation,  to  propose 
questions  worse  than  indiscreet." 

Another  danger  is,  also,  found  in  the  reading  of  the 
Bible  ;  it  contains,  they  say,  many  things  that  as- 
tonish, that  seem  unworthy  of  God,  and  that  may 
perplex  such  as  are  weak  in  the  faith.  I  grant  that 
there  are  in  the  Bible  facts  mysterious,  strange,  even 


OF    THE    BIBLE.  215 

according  to  our  ideas ;  but  I  maintain  that  the  best 
plan  is  to  read  them  in  the  Bible  itself,  not  to  refrain 
from  the  Bible  In  order  to  avoid  them. 

In  the  first  place,  it  is  useless  to  refrain  ;  you  can- 
not aroid  them.  The  most  considerable  of  these 
difficulties  are.  so  closely  connected  with  the  ground- 
work of  its  doctrine,  or  its  history,  that  you  cannot 
undertake  the  study  of  religion  without  meeting  with 
them.  How  will  you  relate,  for  instance,  the  es- 
tablishment of  the  Israelites  in  the  land  of  Canaan, 
without  mentioning  the  command  which  they  received 
from  God  to  exterminate  the  Canaanites  ?  and  this, 
as  you  know,  is  one  of  the,  facts  which  gives  the 
greatest  offence.  And  again,  how  can  you  live  in 
the  world  without  hearing  of  these  obscure  points  in 
religion  ! 

Besides,  in  reading  the  Bible,  we  see  these  obscure 
points  surrounded  by  certain  circumstances  which 
raise  or  diminish  the  difficulty ;  whilst,  separated 
from  this  frame-work,  they  appear  much  more  strange 
than  in  the  place  where  God  has  put  them.  Thus 
the  order  to  exterminate  the  Canaanites  is  much  more 
likely  to  give  offence  in  a  quotation  of  Voltaire,  or 
even  in  a  catechism,  than  it  is  in  the  Bible,  where  we 
see,  by  what  precedes,  and  by  what  follows,  how  far 
the  destruction  of  these  pagans  was  justified  by  their 
crimes  ;  and  how  necessary  this  terrible  warning  was 
to  the  Israelites,  who  lost  their  prosperity  and  their 
religion  entirely  through  having  allowed  these  people 
to  remain  among  them.  This  is  especially  true  with 
regard  to  all  who,  like  you,  madam,  are  aware  that 
causes  of  offence  exist  in  the  Bible  ;  and  who  would 
flee  for  the  purpose  of  not  meeting  with  them.  It  is 
in  the  nature  of  the  human  mind  to  imagine  these 
difficulties  greater  than  they  really  are  ;  and  the  ap- 
prehension that  there  are  in  religion  things  which 
you  cannot  examine  with  impunity,  will  do  more  to 
stagger  your  faith,  than  the  sight  of  these    things 


216  INTERPRETATION 

themselves.  So  that  even  should  the  danger  of 
which  we  speak  be  real,  you  must  still  resign  your- 
self to  it,  as  the  only  means  of  escaping  from  a  still 
greater  peril.  But  approach  the  Bible  with  an 
humble  heart,  madam,  and  the  danger  with  which 
they  terrify  you  will  not  exist.  It  will  then  appear 
to  you  quite  plain,  that  there  should  be,  in  the  ways 
of  God,  things  which  astound  our  feeble  reason  ;  and 
believing  in  the  great  mysteries  of  religion,  you  will 
feel  that  there  would  be  much  inconsistency  in  your 
finding  cause  of  offence  in  the  lesser  difficulties. 
What !  you  believe  in  the  fall  of  the  rebellious  angels, 
and  you  cannot  believe  in  the  fact  related  concenuiiLf 
the  herd  of  swine  at  Gennesareth !  You  admit  the 
incarnation  of  the  Son  of  God,  and  you  cannot  admit 
that  Christ  was  tempted  of  the  devil  in  the  wilder- 
ness !  You  submit  your  reason  to  the  miracle  of  the 
inspiration  of  the  Scriptures,  and  your  faith  recoils 
before  the  history  of  Balaam  !  This  would,  indeed, 
be  "  to  strain  at  a  gnat,  and  swallow  a  camel." 

And  more,  madam.  These  strange  and  mysterious 
things,  which  are  found  in  the  Bible,  have  their 
utility  ;  a  utility  entirely  their  own,  and  which  no- 
thing else  could  supply.  They  confound  our  igno- 
rance ;  they  place  us  in  our  true  position  before  God  ; 
they  teach  us  to  be  silent  in  his  presence,  and  to 
allow  him  to  act  even  when  we  cannot  understand  all 
hat  he  does.  I  one  day  asked  a  child  of  seven 
years  old,  whether  God  was  unjust  in  allowing  the 
consequences  of  Adam's  sin  to  extend  to  his  pos- 
terity. "  No,"  replied  he.  "  And  why,  my  dear?" 
"  Because  nothing  that  God  does  is  unjust."  This 
answer  would  have  drawn  a  smile  of  pity  from  the 
infidel  logician  ;  to  me  it  appeared  admirable.  It  is 
with  this  simple  eye  that  we  ourselves  must  learn  to 
regard  the  mysterious  points  of  revelation  ;  for,  as 
Moses  says,  in  a  passage  which  I  have  already 
shown  you  in  another  point  of  view,  if  there  are  re- 


OF    THK    BIBLS.  217 

vealed  things  which  belong  to  us  and  to  our  children, 

there  arc  also  secret  things  which  belong  unto  the 
Lord  our  God,  Deut.  xxix.  'J9.  This  alternation  of 
light  and  darkness  is  marvellous,  and  truly  divine. 
Pascal,  the  Abbe's  favorite  author,  has  some  fine 
pages  on  this  subject,  which  I  invite  you  to  read. 
This  clearness  and  this  obscurity  exercise  our  faith 
by  turns,  each  in  its  place,  and  in  its  manner ;  and 
to  an  humble  and  upright  mind,  the  darkness  remain- 
ing in  the  Bible  will  not  be  less  salutary  than  its  most 
luminous  instructions. 

But  I  am  weary  of  justifying  the  word  of  God.  I 
owe  it  too  much  to  preserve,  while  defending  it,  the 
attitude  of  a  cold  advocate.  It  is  with  a  heart  full 
of  emotion  and  gratitude  that  I  would  speak  of  it. 
Every  time  I  take  it  in  my  hand,  I  seem  in  some  sort 
to  enter  a  new  world.  It  is  there,  especially,  that  I 
feel  myself  in  the  presence  of  God.  Have  you  not 
felt  this  yourself,  madam  ?  But  I  forget  that  you 
have  not  read  the  Bible  ;  and  really  I  can  hardly 
understand  that  it  should  have  had  no  share  in  pro- 
ducing the  ardent  desire  with  which  you  seek  salva- 
tion. In  general,  it  belongs  to  the  Bible  alone  thus 
to  arouse  the  heart. 

11  Believe  on  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  and  thou  shalt 
be  saved."  "  He  that  hath  the  Son  hath  life."  "  By 
grace  are  ye  saved  through  faith."  "  God  so  loved 
the  world,  that  he  gave  his  only  begotten  Son,  that 
whosoever  believeth  in  him  should  not  perish,  but 
have  everlasting  life."  "  We  love  him,  because  he 
first  loved  us."  "  Be  ye  holy,  for  1  am  holy." 
"  Pray  without  ceasing."  "  Whether  ye  eat,  or 
drink,  or  whatsoever  ye  do,  do  all  to  the  glory  of 
God."  What  language,  madam  !  I  speak  not  here 
of  the  literary  merit  of  the  Bible  ;  nevertheless,  it 
equals,  it  surpasses,  the  most  perfect  productions  of 
human  poesy,  or  human  eloquence  ;  and  it  has  fur- 
nished our  best  writers  with  their  most  admired  pages. 
19 


218  INTERPRETATION 

I  speak  not  even  of  that  marvellous  union  of  simpli- 
city an  1  depth,  which  lias  Led  a  father  of  the  church 
to  compare  it  to  a  river,  which  in  some  parts  might 
be  forded  hy  a  lamb,  and  which  in  others  could  not 
be  crossed  by  an  elephant  without  swimming.  By  a 
pious  man  of  our  own  ag<-,  it  has  been  compared  to 
the  <jrass  which  serves  lor  food  at  once  for  the  least 
animals  and  to  the  greatest  ;  but  on  condition  that 
the  latter  should  bow  the  head.  I  speak  of  some- 
thing more  inimitable,  m;>re  celestial  still ;  I  mean 
the  gravity,  the  unction,  the  superhuman  force  which 
breathes  throughout  the  Bible,  and  which  can  be 
better  felt  than  described.  How  well  the  Bible  has 
been  called  by  St.  Paul,  "  the  sword  of  the  Spirit!" 
Eph  vi.  17.  The  Abbe  has  taught  you  to  admire 
the  beauty,  the  polish,  the  edge  of  this  sword  ;  it 
remains,  madam,  for  it  to  penetrate  into  your  heart. 
This  is  the  work  of  the  Holy  Spirit.  He  alone  can 
wield  this  "  word  of  God,  quick  and  powerful,  and 
sharper  than  any  two-edged  sword,  piercing  even  to 
the  dividing  asunder  of  soul  and  spirit,  and  of  the 
joints  and  marrow,  and  is  a  discerner  of  the  thoughts 
and  intents  of  the  heart,"  Heb.  iv.  12.  The  Bible 
elsewhere  compares  itself  to  a  hammer,  which 
breaks  the  hardest  hearts  ;  to  bread,  which  feedeth 
the  soul  to  li-fe  everlasting  ;  to  a  lamp,  which  en- 
lighteneth  our  path  ;  to  a  shield,  which  protects  us  ;  to 
tried  silver;  to  a  fire,  which  consumeth  every  impurity. 
It  produces  on  those  who  read  it  an  impression  similar 
to  that  which  the  voice  of  Christ  produced  upon  his 
hearers.  As  they  were  compelled  to  cry  out,  "  Never 
man  spake  like  this  man,"  John  vii.  46,  we,  in  read- 
ing it,  are  constrained  to  say,  Never  book  spoke  like 
this  book  ! 

No,  madam,  never  book  spoke  like  this  book.  In 
vain  you  think  to  supply  the  place  of  the  reading  of 
the  Bible,  by  substituting  that  of  any  work  of  devotion 
whatever.      You  mention  "  The  Imitation  of  Jesus 


OF    THE    BIBLE.  219 

Christ.''  Without  going  as  far  as  Fcntenelle,  who 
called  it  "  the  finest  book  that  has  issued  from  the 
hand  of  men,  since  the  Bible  is  not  theirs  ;"  I  ac- 
knowledge that  it  contains  much  that  is  excellent ; 
and  why  ?  because  it  is  derived  from  the  Holy  Scrip- 
tures. But  it  can  never  supply  their  place.  It  is  not 
given  to  the  spirit  of  man  to  contemplate  things  from 
the  same  point  of  view  as  God,  and  to  show  through- 
out, as  does  the  Bible,  God  as  the  first  cause,  and  all 
the  rest  in  its  connexion  with  God.  Besides,  for  you, 
and  for  all  who,  like  you,  are  still  in  search  of  truth, 
the  '•  Imitation"  has  great  defects.  It  is  more  fitted 
for  the  development  of  faith  in  the  soul,  than  for  its 
production  ;  it  says  much  of  the  Christian  life,  and 
little  of  regeneration.  But  the  Bible  is  equally  use- 
ful in  beginning  the  work,  in  carrying  it  on,  and  in 
completing  it. 

Extracts,  it  is  said,  may  be  made  from  the  Bible, 
catechisms,  expositions  of  faith.  But  all  these  are 
to  the  Bible  merely  what  a  museum  of  natural  history 
is  to  nature — a  meager  substitute,  whose  only  use  is 
to  recall  some  faint  image  of  the  originals,  in  the 
minds  of  those  who  have  begun  by  the  study  of  nature 
itself.  How  cold  is  the  language  of  the  catechism, 
beside  that  of  the  Bible  !  When  I  read  in  the  Gos- 
pel these  touching  words  of  our  Lord,  "  Come  unto 
me,  all  ye  that  labor  and  are  heavy  laden,  and  I  will 
give  you  rest ;  take  my  yoke  upon  you,  and  learn  of 
me,  for  I  am  meek  and  lowly  in  heart,  and  ye  shall 
find  rest  unto  your  souls  ;  for  my  yoke  is  easy,  and 
my  burden  is  light,"  Matt.  xi.  28-30,  I  say  to  my- 
self, It  is  Jesus,  it  is  my  Saviour,  who  speaks  to  me. 
I  think  I  can  hear  his  voice.  And  then  each  of  these 
words  is  inexpressibly  sweet :  "  Come  unto  me  ;  I 
will  give  you  rest ;  I  am  meek  and  lowly  in  heart ; 
ye  shall  find  rest  unto  your  souls  ;  my  yoke  is  easy." 
All  this  goes  directly  to  my  heart.  I  see  him  bear- 
ing his  cross,  and  helping  me  to  bear  mine.     I  take 


220  INTERPRETATION 

courage,  and  strive  to  follow  his  steps.  But  when, 
instead  of  this,  the  catechism  tells  me  that  Christ  has 
invited  sinners  to  come  to  him ;  that  he  gives  ease  to 
those  that  suffer  ;  and  that  his  burden  is  not  painful ; 
it  is,  in  truth,  the  same  doctrine,  but  does  it  produce 
the  same  impression  ? 

There  are,  you  say,  pious  persons  who  have  never 
read  the  Bible.  I  am  not  quite  sure  of  this,  madam. 
There  are  many  souls,  perhaps,  that  are  fed  in  secret 
by  the  word  of  God  ;  and  as  to  such  as  are  entire 
strangers  to  it,  I  cannot  but  think  that  something  is 
wanting  to  their  Christianity.  They  may  have  the 
zeal  of  a  saur  de  la  charite,  or  of  one  of  the  "freres" 
who  take  charge  of  the  "  Christian  schools"  (a  zeal 
which  is  unquestionably  useful  and  respectable),  but 
the  soul  of  the  Christian  life,  communion  with  the 
Saviour,  must  always  be  in  a  low  state.  All  true 
piety  rests,  in  one  way  or  another,  on  the  Scriptures; 
and  this  support  is  felt  even  in  the  midst  of  many 
errors  and  infirmities. 

Believe,  madam,  the  unanimous  testimony  of  the 
holiest  divines  of  every  age.  It  forms  a  perfect  con- 
cert of  praises  to  the  glory  of  the  word  of  God.  With- 
out recalling  the  manner  in  which  the  prophets  and 
apostles  have  expressed  themselves  on  this  subject 
(for  this  is  more  than  the  testimony  of  the  holiest  of 
men,  it  is  that  of  God  himself),  you  will  find  in  the 
church,  as  it  were,  a  choir  of  venerable  servants  of 
God,  who  join  hands  from  the  apostles  to  us,  and 
who  all  acknowledge  that  they  cannot  express  what 
they  owe  to  this  reading,  from  which  others  seek  to 
deter  you. 

"  Let  us  feed  our  souls,"  writes  St.  Augustine,  "  by 
the  meditation  and  study  of  the  Divine  writings  ;  let 
us  satisfy  our  hunger,  and  quench  our  thirst,  by  the 
heavenly  meat  and  drink  which  it  affords.  Let  us 
seek  instruction  in  this  school,  so  noble  and  so  wor- 


OF    THE    BIBLE.  221 

thy  of  the  children  of  God.'* — "  Of  this  you  maybe 
smv,  that  as  is  our  flesh  when  it  only  receives  food 
once  in  several  days,  bo  is  our  soul  when  it  is  not 
frequently  nourished  by  the  word  of  God.  For,  as 
hunger  and  the  want  of  food  make  our  bodies  meager, 
so  the  soul  which  neglects  to  strengthen  itself  by  the 
bread  of  the  word  of  God,  becomes  feeble  and  barren, 
and  unfit  for  any  good  work.  Consider,  then,  if  it  be 
just  that  our  body,  which  is  only  formed  of  earth, 
should  sometimes  receive  two  repasts  in  the  course  of 
one  day,  while  our  soul,  which  is  the  image  of  God, 
hardly  receives  the  word  of  life  after  having  been  de- 
prived of  it  for  several  days.  Continue  to  listen,  as 
usual,  to  the  reading  of  the  Holy  Scriptures  in  the 
church,  and  read  them  in  your  houses. "t 

You  should  see  with  what  vivacity  St.  Clement  of 
Alexandria  replies  to  those  who  believe  themselves 
incapable  of  reading  the  Scriptures  :  "  But  we  are 
not  all  capable,  you  will  tell  me,  of  this  divine  phi- 
losophy. We  are  not  all  capable,  then,  of  attaining 
true  life.  What  is  this  you  dare  affirm  ?  How  is  it 
that  you  have  believed,  how  is  it  that  you  love  God 
and  your  neighbor,  if  you  are  not  capable  of  the  phi- 
losophy of  which  I  speak  ?  How  is  it  that  you  love 
yourselves,  if  you  have  no  taste  for  the  other  life  ? 
But  I  have  not  learned  to  read,  will  you  again  tell 
me  ?  If  you  know  not.  how  to  read,  you  are  bound, 
at  least,  to  hear  all  that  is  read  to  you."! 

Origen  places  the  reading  of  the  Bible  among  the 
number  of  things  which  feed  the  soul,  and  the  ne- 
glect of  its  perusal  among  the  greatest  dangers  to 
which  our  souls  can  be  exposed. §  If  we  are  allowed 
to  seek  any  pleasure  in  this  life,  it  ought  to  be,  ac- 
cording to  St.  Gregory  of  Nazianzen,  only  in  the 
reading  of  the  word  of  God,  and  in  the  meditation 

*  Of  True  Religion,  c.  51.  f  Serm  56.    Of  Time. 

%  Pedag.  lib.  iii.  c.  II. 

§  Homel.  ix.,  in  Lev. ;  chap.  xvi.  in  Rom.  lib.  x. 

19* 


222  INTERPRETATION 

of  his  law.*  "  ft  is  just  and  necessary,"  writes  St. 
Basil,  in  his  turn,  "  that  everyone  should  learn  what 
is  useful  from  the  Holy  Scriptures,  as  much  for  his 
advancement  in  piety,  as  that  he  may  not  become  ac- 
customed to  the  traditions  of  men"\ 

But  of  all  the  fathers,  the  most  frequent,  the  most 
urgent,  in  recommending  the  reading  of  the  Bible,  is 
St.  Chrysostom.  You  may  already  have  seen  what 
he  thought  on  the  subject,  from  a  few  lines  which  I 
quoted  from  one  of  his  writings  in  my  reply  to  the 
Abbe,  on  the  article  of  tradition.  He  repeatedly  re- 
curs to  the  subject :  it  is  evidently  one  in  which  he 
takes  great  delight.  I  will  confine  myself  to  two  or 
three  citations  :  "  Listen,  I  conjure  you,  all  who  are 
engaged  in  the  cares  of  this  life  ;  procure  the  Holy 
Books,  which  are  the  medicine  of  the  soul.  If  you 
will  not  take  the  whole  of  them,  have,  at  least,  the 
New  Testament, — the  Acts  of  the  Apostles, — the 
Gospels  ;  let  them  be  your  masters  at  every  moment. 
The  cause  of  every  evil  is,  that  we  do  not  know  the 
Scriptures.  We  go  to  battle  without  arms. — I  exhort 
you  always,  and  will  never  cease  to  exhort  you,  not 
to  be  satisfied  with  what  you  hear  in  this  place  ;  but 
when  you  have  returned  to  your  houses,  apply  your- 
selves assiduously  to  the  reading  of  the  Holy  Scrip- 
tures ;  neither  have  I  ever  neglected  to  insist  upon 
this  point  with  those  who  come  to  consult  me  in  pri- 
vate.— And  let  it  not  be  urged,  I  live  in  the  world  ;  it 
is  not  for  me  to  read  the  Scriptures  ;  it  is  the  business 
of  those  who  have  renounced  the  world,  and  who 
have  withdrawn  to  the  mountains.  What  do  you  tell 
me  ?  It  is  not  your  business  to  study  the  Scriptures, 
because  you  are  distracted  by  a  thousand  cares  !  It 
is  on  this  very  account  that  it  is  more  your  business 
than  theirs.  But,  perhaps,  you  will  tell  me,  we  do 
not  know  the  things  which  are  contained  in  the  Scrip- 
tures.    Well,  if  you  do  not  know  them,  you  have 

*  Orat.  38.  \  Reg.  Brev.,  resp.  95,  torn,  ii.,  p.  440. 


OF    THE    BIBLE.  223 

much  fruit  to  expect  from  their  perusal  alone.  Be- 
sides, it  is  not  possible  that  you  should  be  equally 
ignorant  of  all  ;  for  the  grace  of  the  Holy  Spirit  has 
expressly  confided  the  composition  of  these  books 
to  unlettered  men,  in  order  that  no  one  may  make  a 
pretext  of  ignorance,  and  that  all,  even  the  least  in- 
structed, may  understand  and  profit  by  the  word  of 
God.  Who  has  need  of  a  master  to  understand  words 
such  as  these  :  '  Blessed  are  the  meek ;  Blessed  are 
the  merciful ;'  and  many  other  such  ?  And  the  mira- 
cles, the  prodigies,  the  histories,  are  not  all  these 
clear  and  intelligible  for  everyone  ?  The  reading  of 
the  Scriptures  is  a  great  preservation  from  sin  ;  and 
to  be  ignorant  of  them  is  a  mighty  precipice,  a  deep 
gulf.  To  know  nothing  of  the  Divine  laws,  is  greatly 
to  endanger  one's  salvation.  It  is  this  which  has 
brought  forth  heresies,  which  has  introduced  corrup- 
tion of  life,  which  has  turned  everything  upside  down  ; 
for  it  is  impossible,  yes,  impossible,  that  this  reading 
should  remain  fruitless,  for  any  one  that  applies  him- 
self to  it  with  assiduity  and  attention."*  Most  as- 
suredly, madam,  if  you  could  consult  St,  Chrysostom 
on  the  question  now  in  hand,  he  would  not  tell  you 
that  the  reading  of  the  Bible  is  dangerous,  either  to 
faith  or  to  morals  ;  since  it  is  ignorance  of  the  Scrip- 
tures, if  we  may  believe  him,  which  has  brought  forth 
heresy,  and  introduced  corruption  of  life. 

It  would  be  superfluous  to  cite  St.  Bernard,  St. 
Anselm,  the  author  of  the  "  Imitation."  Pascal,  and 
many  others  ;  but  I  feel  a  pleasure  in  concluding  this 
series  of  testimonies  in  favor  of  the  reading  of  the 
Bible,  by  that  of  two  popes.  I  do  not  know,  however, 
whether  we  can  give  this  title  to  the  former  of  the 
two,  St.  Gregory  :  he  was,  indeed,  bishop  of  Rome, 
but  so  far  from  pretending  to  the  supremacy  to  which 
his  successors  have  laid  claim,  he  has  not  feared  to 
declare,  that  whoever  calls  himself  a  universal  bishop 

*  Third  Sermon  on  Lazarus. 


224  INTERPRETATION 

is  a  "  precursor  of  Antichrist." — "  Give  diligent  heed, 
my  dear  brethren,"  said  he,  "  to  meditation  upon  God's 
word.  Neglect  not  these  Divine  writings,  which  are 
as  letters  addressed  to  us  by  our  Creator.  Great  ad- 
vantage may  be  drawn  from  them  ;  for  it  is  by  the 
perusal  of  them  that  our  heart  is  warmed,  and  that 
we  prevent  our  love  from  being  extinguished,  or  from 
being  slackened  by  the  cold  of  iniquity."*  Lastly, 
here  is  what  was  written  by  Pope  Pius  VII.,  in  a 
letter,  dated  April,  1778,  and  addressed  to  Mr  An- 
toine  Martini,  of  Turin  :  "  You  are  very  right  in  think- 
ing that  the  faithful  ought  to  be  excited  to  read  the 
Holy  Scriptures  ;  for  they  are  the  most  abundant 
fountains,  and  they  ought  to  be  left  accessible  to  all. 
You  cannot,  therefore,  find  a  more  efficacious  means 
than  to  publish  the  sacred  books  in  the  vulgar  tongue 
of  your  country,  which  will  place  them  in  every- 
body's reach." 

But  it  is  not  necessary,  madam,  to  go  far  in  search 
of  proofs  of  the  benefit  resulting  from  the  reading  of 
the  Bible.  They  are  renewed  in  every  age  ;  and  I 
have  myself  seen  the  most  touching  examples.  I 
will  only  refer  to  one,  which  will  be  especially  inter- 
esting to  you.  The  mother  of  a  family  was  married 
to  an  infidel,  who  made  a  jest  of  religion  in  the  pre- 
sence of  his  own  children  ;  yet  she  succeeded  in 
bringing  them  all  up  in  the  fear  of  the  Lord.  I  one 
day  asked  her,  how  she  had  preserved  them  from  the 
influence  of  a  father,  whose  sentiments  were  so  openly 
opposed  to  her  own.  This  was  her  answer  :  "  Be- 
cause, to  the  authority  of  a  father,  I  $id  not  oppose 
the  authority  of  a  mother,  but  that  of  God.  From 
their  earliest  years  my  children  have  always  seen  the 
Bible  upon  my  table.  This  holy  book  has  constituted 
the  whole  of  their  religious  instruction.  I  was  silent, 
that  I  might  allow  it  to  speak.  Did  they  propose  a 
question  ?  did  they  commit  any  fault  ?  did  they  per- 
*  Horn.  xv.  in  Ezek. 


OF    THE    BIBLE.  225 

form  any  good  action  ?  I  opened  the  Bible,  and  the 
Bible  answered,  reproved,  or  encouraged  them  The 
constant  reading  of  the  Scriptures  has  alone  wrought 
the  prodigy  which  surprises  you." 

I  dare  not  place  my  feeble  experience  beside  that 
of  the  great  servants  of  God  whom  I  have  just  named, 
nor  even  beside  that  of  this  humble  and  pious  mother. 
Nevertheless,  I  wish  to  tell  you,  in  my  turn,  how  sal- 
utary the  reading  of  the  Bible  has  been  to  me.  It  is 
a  debt  I  owe. 

You  will,  perhaps,  recollect,  madam,  that  after  my 
visit  to  the  pious  Oberlin,  1  derived  from  the  reading 
of  the  New  Testament  the  first  dawning  of  faith,  which 
I  had  nearly  lost  by  giving  up  this  perusal.  But  when, 
after  my  conversations  with  Mr.  Z  *  *  *,  I  again  took 
up  the  Bible,  to  make  it  the  subject  of  attentive  and 
connected  study,  I  was  shaken  to  my  inmost  soul. 
Until  then,  if  I  believed  myself  a  sinner,  it  was  on 
the  faith  of  others,  coldly,  and  without  effect ;  but 
when  1  read  with  my  own  eyes  in  this  book,  which  I 
had  learned  to  receive  as  the  word  of  God,  "  The 
wages  of  sin  is  death,"  Rom.  vi.  23.;  "Cursed  is 
every  one  that  continueth  not  in  all  things  which  are 
written  in  the  book  of  the  law  to  do  them,"  Gal.  iii. 
10  ;  I  thought  that  I  saw  hell  opened  beneath  my  feet. 
The  sword  had  pierced  me  through  and  through.  I 
remained  several  weeks  in  this  state,  living  in  uneasi- 
ness, and  fearing  to  die.  At  last,  the  same  word 
which  had  so  much  troubled  me,  showed  me  the  de- 
liverance that  God  has  prepared  for  the  penitent  sin- 
ner. It  showed  me  my  Saviour  expiring  on  the  cross 
for  my  sins  :  yes,  madam,  for  mine ;  for  1  firmly  be- 
lieve that  he  has  so  much  loved  me,  that  even  had  I 
been  the  only  person  in  the  world  to  save,  he  would 
have  come  for  me  alone.  "  God  so  loved  the  world, 
that  he  gave  his  only  begotten  Son,  that  whosoever 
believeth  in  him  should  not  perish,  but  have  everlast- 
ing life,"  John  iii.  1G.     I  understood  that,  being  lost 


226  INTERPRETATION 

by  my  works,  I  had  no  other  resource  than  to  give 
myself  up  to  Christ,  that  I  might  be  justified  by  his 
omnipotent  grace.  O  madam,  what  a  day  of  light! 
From  this  moment  all  was  changed.  All  my  old  ideas 
of  merit  and  virtue  vanished  away.  1  saw  nothing 
but  the  grace  of  God,  free  grace  surrounding  me  on 
every  side  :  the  Father  calling  me  by  grace  ;  the  Son 
redeeming  me  by  grace  ;  the  Holy  Spirit  regenerat- 
ing me  by  grace.  "  By  grace  are  ye  saved,  through 
faith  :  not  of  works,  lest  any  man  should  boast.  For 
we  are  his  workmanship,  created  in  Christ  Jesus  unto 
good  works,"  Eph.  ii.  8-10.  "  Created  in  Christ 
Jesus  :"  this  is,  indeed,  the  true  expression  :  a  new 
creation  had  really  taken  place  in  my  soul ;  and  the 
Holy  Spirit  bore  witness  with  my  spirit,  that  I  was 
become  a  child  of  God.  It  was  not  "  of  works,"  but 
it  was  "  unto  good  works  :"  for  how  can  we  forbear 
to  love  God,  when  we  have  been  saved  by  grace  ? 
and  loving  him,  how  can  we  forbear  to  do  all  that  he 
desires  ?  "  We  love  him  because  he  first  loved  us/ 
1  John  iv.  19.  Then  what  I  had  so  much  sought,  a 
sure  rule,  a  solid  resting-place,  a  rock,  1  felt  that  I  had 
found  it  in  the  Bible. 

After  having  thus  brought  me  forth  into  the  life  of 
God,  the  same  Bible  affords  daily  food  for  my  soul, 
and  provides  for  every  ihing.  All  my  strength  is  in 
these  three  words  by  which  Jesus  Christ  himself  re- 
pulsed the  temptations  of  Satan  in  the  wilderness :  "  It 
is  written."  Am  I  afflicted,  and  ready  to  sink  under 
the  weight  of  grief  ?  it  is  written,  "  Whom  the  Lord 
loveth  he  chasteneth,"  Heb.  xii.  6.  Am  I  uncertain 
what  I  ought  to  do  ?  it  is  written,  "  The  Lord  will 
teach  sinners  in  the  way,"  Psa.  xxv.  8.  Am  I  railed 
at  for  my  faith,  and  rejected  even  by  my  own  rela- 
tions ?  it  is  written,  "  All  that  will  live  godly  in  Christ 
Jesus  shall  suffer  persecution,"  2  Tim.  iii.  12.  Am 
I  tempted  ?  it  is  written,  "  God  will  not  suffer  you  to 
be  tempted  above  that  ye  are  able,"  1   Cor.  x.   13. 


OF    THE    BIBLE.  227 

Am  I  sick?  it  is  written,  "  Blessed  are  the  dead  which 
die  in  the  Lord,"  Rev.  xiv.  13.  Do  I  pray  ?  it  is 
written,  "  Every  one  that  asketh  receiveth,"  Matt. 
vii.8.  Thatthe  vain  reasoningsof  men,and  theiruncer- 
tain  traditions,  may  seduce  those  who  have  never  read 
thr  Bible,  I  can  also  conceive;  but  forme,  who  have 
made  the  blessed  experiment  of  its  perusal,  should  all 
the  priests,  all  the  bishops,  all  the  councils,  in  the 
world,  unite  to  tell  me  that  it  is  dangerous,  my  answer 
is  ready.  As  the  man  born  blind,  whom  Christ  had 
healed,  said  to  the  Pharisees,  "  Whether  he  be  a  sin- 
ner or  no,  I  know  not :  one  thing  1  know,  that  where- 
as I  was  blind,  now  I  see,"  John  ix.  25  ;  I  shall  say, 
in  my  turn,  whether  the  Bible  be  a  dangerous  book  or 
no,  one  thing  I  know,  that  whereas  my  eyes  were 
closed,  now  it  has  opened  them. 

These  dangers,  then,  are  so  difficult  to  discover 
that  they  have  escaped  the  attention  even  of  God  him- 
self, since  he  has  so  often  prescribed  the  reading  of 
his  word.  Doubtless,  he  was  not  aware  of  them  when 
he  inspired  David  with  the  promise  contained  in  the 
first  Psalm  :  "  Blessed  is  the  man  whose  delight  is  in 
the  law  of  the  Lord."  He  was  unacquainted  with 
them  when  he  dictated  these  words  to  St.  Paul : 
"  All  Scripture  is  given  by  inspiration  of  God,  and  is 
profitable  for  doctrine,  for  reproof,  for  correction,  for 
instruction  in  righteousness,"  2  Tim.  iii.  16.  He  was 
unacquainted  with  them  when  he  praised  the  Jews 
of  Berea  in  these  terms  :  "  These  were  more  noble 
than  those  in  Thessalonica,  in  that  they  searched  the 
Scriptures  daily,  whether  those  things  were  so,"  Acts 
xvii.  11. 

Ah!  the  Bible  is  indeed  dangerous  ;  but  for  whom  ? 
It  is  dangerous  for  infidelity,  which  it  confounds  ; 
dangerous  for  sin,  which  it  curses  ;  dangerous  for 
the  world,  which  it  condemns  ;  dangerous  for  Satan, 
whom  it  dethrones ;  dangerous  to  false  religions, 
which  it  unmasks  ;  dangerous,  yes,  highly  dangerous, 


228  INTERPRETATION 

for  every  church  which  dares  to  conceal  it  from  the 
people,  and  whose  criminal  impostures,  or  fatal  illu- 
sions, it  brings  to  light ! 

I  conclude,  madam ;  I  will  no  longer  urge  you  to 
read  the  Bible.  I  know  of  no  other  arguments  to  add 
to  those  I  have  already  given  you ;  and  I  dare  affirm, 
that  if  they  do  not  persuade  you,  nothing  will.  These 
are  not  sophisms,  like  the  objections  of  your  priests , 
they  are  plain  and  simple  reasons,  drawn  from  the 
word  of  God  itself.  You  now  perfectly  understand 
the  matter;  yes,  madam,  you  understand  it.  It  is  su- 
perfluous to  inquire  further.  There  are  no  longer 
any  doubts  to  be  cleared  ;  but  there  is  a  resolution  to 
be  taken.  God  says,  Read ;  the  Abbe  Favien  says, 
Read  not.  It  is  for  you  to  choose.  To  obviate  every 
difficulty,  I  send  you  a  New  Testament  of  Sacy. 
Madam,  obey  God  rather  than  man  ;  take,  and  read. 

Or  if  you  will  not what  shall  I  say  then?  If  you 

will  not  to-day,  I  fear  you  never  will.  I  fear  that  a 
longer  resistance  will  offend  God,  and,  perhaps,  cause 
him  to  withdraw  from  you.  I  fear  that  you  will  do, 
as  many  others  have  done,  whom  the  grace  of  God 
has  attracted,  but  who  have  refused  its  invitations, 
and  whom  it  has  left  to  their  own  devices.  Although 
I  thus  speak,  madam,  "  I  am  persuaded  better  things 
of  you,  and  things  that  accompany  salvation."  Hasten 
then  to  write  to  me,  that  you  have  chosen  the  word 
of  the  Lord,  as  "the  strength  of  your  heart,  and  your 
portion  for  ever!" 


LETTER  XIX. 

LUCILLA   TO   MR.    MERCIER. 


What  will  you  have  thought,  sir,  of  my  long  si- 
lence ?     Perhaps,  you  will   have   despaired   of  me. 


OF    THE    BIBLE.  229 

But  no;  you  could  never  have  thoughl  thai  God  would 
abandon  me.  The  bitterness  caused  by  my  de- 
lays can  alone  have  suggested  such  an  idea  ;  but  I 
felt  that  this  bitterness  was  all  charity,  and  your 
charity  has  overcome  me.  The  letter  I  received 
from  you  a  month  ago  affected  me  more  than  any  of 
the  others;   and  its  last  lines  almost  broke  my  heart. 

When  1  had  finished  them,  I  immediately  took  up 
your  New  Testament,  which  I  received  at  the  same 
time.  It  seemed  sent  from  God.  I  opened  it  at  the 
first  page  :  I  knelt  down,  and  offered  up  this  prayer 
to  God : — Lord,  this  book  is  thy  word.  If  it  be  true 
that  thou  hast  commanded  thy  children  to  read  it, 
deign  to  enlighten  me  by  thy  Spirit.  If  I  have  re- 
ceived evil  counsels,  withdraw  me  from  error,  and 
never  allow  me  to  forsake  thee.  Then  I  immediate- 
ly began  to  read  ;  but  I  resolved  to  write  no  more, 
either  to  you,  sir,  or  to  the  Abbe,  and  to  live  a  whole 
month  without  any  other  guide  than  God  himself. 
Had  the  result  been  contrary  to  your  expectations  ; 
had  the  reading  of  the  Bible  proved  a  source  of  per- 
plexity and  offence  to  my  soul;  you  would  never 
more  have  heard  of  me  :  hut  how  different  has  been 
the  effect!  This  perusal  possessed  such  an  interest, 
such  a  charm,  that  I  sometimes  devoted  to  it  a  part 
of  the  night.  In  less  than  a  fortnight  I  had  read  the 
New  Testament  through.  I  immediately  began  it 
again  ;  and  I  have  just  finished  it  a  second  time. 

What  a  book,  sir!  It,  indeed,  produces  all  the 
feelings  you  describe.  It  terrifies  and  consoles  me, 
it  disturbs  and  rejoices  me,  by  turns.  During  the 
last  few  days  I  begin  to  understand  it.  What  you 
have  found  in  the  Bible,  I  also  find  there  ;  and  this  is 
a  fresh  proof  of  the  unity  of  feeling  which  the  Holy 
Ghost  produces  in  those  who  read  it  with  faith.  My 
short  experience  convinces  me  even  better  than  your 
letters  ;  and  you  will  not  be  jealous,  if  I  say  to  you 
what  the  Samaritans  said  to  the  woman  who  had  an- 
20 


?,30  INTERPRETATION 

nounced  Christ  to  them:  "  Now  we  believe,  not  be- 
cause of  thy  saying ;  for  we  have  heard  him  our- 
selves, and  know  that  this  is  indeed  the  Christ,  the 
Saviour  of  the  world,"  John  iv.  42.  I  have  learned 
to  see  myself  as  I  really  am,  a  poor  sinner,  who  has 
never  yet  known  her  own  heart ;  and  who  imagined 
herself  without  reproach,  while  trampling  on  the  holy 
law  of  God.  But  I  have  learned,  at  the  same  time, 
to  see  in  Jesus  Christ  a  Saviour  full  of  mercy,  dying 
to  reconcile  me  to  God.  I  hardly  dare  speak  of  my 
hope,  it  is  so  new  :  but  new  as  it  is,  I  feel  that  it  is 
firm;  and  I  admire  the  suddenness  with  which  it  has 
been  developed.  Doubtless,  there  has  been  a  pre- 
paratory work  of  God  in  my  heart.  You  cannot 
imagine,  sir,  how  much  1  was  struck  by  that  part  of 
your  letter,  in  which  you  express  your  surprise  at  my 
being  so  anxiously  desirous  to  obtain  salvation,  with- 
out acknowledging  that  the  Bible  had  any  share  in 
producing  this  deep  interest :  you  are  not  aware  that 
the  serious  impressions  which  first  induced  me  to 
write  to  the  Abbe,  were  called  forth  by  some  extracts 
from  the  Bible,  which  I  read  in  my  "  Manual." 

Am  I  a  Catholic,  or  a  Protestant  ?  I  hardly  know. 
I  feel  that  I  am  become  a  Christian,  and  that  suffices 
me ;  God  will  do  the  rest.  On  him  alone  do  I  de- 
pend. I  know  my  own  weakness  ;  and  it  is  with 
respect,  with  submission,  that  I  should  receive  the 
counsels  of  a  pious  pastor ;  but  I  will  place  no  man 
between  God  and  me.  I  say  this  with  you  ;  and  I 
now  say  it  with  a  full  understanding  of  the  whole 
force  of  your  meaning. 

Can  you  imagine,  sir,  with  what  emotion,  with 
what  gratitude,  I  think  of  you,  to  whom  God  himself 
directed  me  ;  of  you,  who  have  so  patiently  borne 
with  me  ;  who  have  so  kindly  instructed  me  ;  of 
you,  in  short,  who  have  led  me  to  take  the  first  step 
in  a  path,  at  the  end  of  which  I  can  perceive  eternal 
life. 


OF    THE    BIRLE.  231 

But  no  ;  gratitude  must  not  render  me  ungrateful. 
If  you  have  led  me  to  take  the  decisive  step,  il  was, 
nevertheless,  bul  the  second;  the  firsl  1  owe  to  the 

Abbe  Favien.  This  (rood  Abbe! — I  must  tell  you  el 
my  last  conversation  with  him  ;  but  oner  more  re- 
member, that  all  I  say  of  him  is  strictly  confidential. 

As  to  myself,  my  new  sentiments  will  soon  be  known  , 
but  I  should  indeed  be  sorry  to  compromise  this  wor- 
thy ecclesiastic,  who  is  already  not  on  the  best  terms 
with  his  bishop. 

My  intention  was  to  write  to  him,  giving  him  an 
account  of  my  correspondence  with  you ;  but  I  would 
not  do  this  until  I  had  completed  my  month  of  retire- 
ment. He  did  not  wait  for  my  letter.  Passing  the 
day  before  yesterday,  at  some  little  distance  from  the 
castle,  he  came  to  pay  us  a  visit. 

As  soon  as  we  were  alone,  he  mildly  complained 
that  I  had  not  informed  him  of  my  decision.  Then, 
without  giving  me  time  to  reply,  he  said,  "  Do  you 
read  the  Bible,  madam  ?"  "  Yes,  sir."  "  Just  as  I 
had  foreseen ;  I  see  you  abandon  us."  I  was,  I 
confess,  rather  embarrassed  by  this  abrupt  address  ; 
but  my  firmness  gradually  returned.  "  Surely,  to 
attach  myself  to  the-  word  of  God  is  not  to  abandon 
you."  "  You  read  the  Bible,  then  !  and  in  what  ver- 
sion, if  you  please?"  "In  that  of  Sacy."  "That 
may  do  yet ;  and  your  Bible,  at  least,  is  it  complete  ?" 
"  I  have  hitherto  only  read  the  New  Testament ;  but 
I  have  a  great  desire  to  procure  the  Old."  "  Yes, 
the  Old  Testament,  mutilated  by  the  Reformers !" 

During  this  short  conversation,  he  spoke  with  a 
certain  irritability  which  I  had  never  before  seen. 
He  recovered  himself,  however,  and,  as  if  he  re- 
proached himself  with  this  emotion,  said,  "  Do  not 
think  that  I  wish  to  disturb  your  mind ;  but,  my 
child,"  added  he,  very  seriously,  "  are  you  reconciled 
with  God?"  "I  hope  so,  sir."  "You  have,  then, 
resolved  to  confess  ?"     "  No."     "  And  how  can  you 


232  INTERPRETATION 

know  that  you  are  received  in  grace?"  "God  has 
told  me  so."  "  God  has  told  you  !  and  how  ?"  "  In 
his  word."  "  Explain  yourself,  I  beg."  "It  is  written 
in  the  gospel,  '  Believe  in  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  and 
thou  shalt  be  saved.'  I  have  believed  in  him,  sir. 
Oh  yes  !  in  Him  alone  :  how,  then,  should  I  not  be 
saved  !  what  God  has  promised  will  he  not  per- 
form ?" 

The  Abbe  listened  to  me  with  agitation,  but  with- 
out anger.  A  double  feeling  seemed  to  animate  him  ; 
a  fear  that  I  should  wander  from  the  right  way ;  and, 
perhaps,  a  desire  of  being  himself  enlightened,  if  I 
may  say  so  without  presumption.  "  Madam,  your 
language  surprises  me  to  the  last  degree.  Tell  me 
all  that  has  happened  to  you ;  tell  me  all.  I  conjure 
you  to  conceal  nothing  from  me."  I  then  gave  him 
an  abridged  recital  of  our  correspondence,  and  of  the 
conflicts  to  which  it  had  given  rise  in  my  mind.  I 
offered  to  show  him  your  letters,  whenever  he  liked. 
You  will  not  be  displeased  at  this  ?  It  would  be 
impossible  for  me  to  describe  the  expression  of  his 
countenance  during  this  recital.  He  appeared  ab- 
sorbed in  some  profound  reflection.  When  I  had 
finished,  he  remained  several  minutes  in  a  kind  of 
revery,  when,  suddenly,  "  Madam,"  said  he,  with  a 
look  which  seemed  desirous  of  piercing  my  very 
heart,  "  have  you  peace  ?"  "  Yes,  sir,  I  have  peace 
with  God  ;  thanks  be  to  him  for  it."  "  If  that  is  the 
case,  I  have  nothing  more  to  say.  You  know  how 
to  pray  ;  pray."    He  immediately  arose,  and  left  me. 

Do  you  not  think,  sir,  that  this  good  Abbe  will 
have  said  to  himself,  that  the  way  in  which  I  walk 
may  indeed  be  the  right  one  ?  If  he  dare  not  encou- 
rage me  in  it,  at  least  he  has  not  sought  to  turn  me 
aside  ;  and  who  knows  ?  he  would,  perhaps,  have 
succeeded  ;  I  am  still  so  weak.  But  God  has  spared 
me;  and  this  visit,  which  I  dreaded  a  little,  has  only 
served  to  strengthen  me  in  my  new  sentiments.    Im- 


OF    THE    BIBLE.  233 

mediately  after,  I  boughl  the  whole  Bible  of  a  col- 
porteur, ami  began  to  read  the  Old  Testament.  I  find 
more  difficulties  than  in  the  New;  but,  doubtless, 
they  will  diminish  at  a  second  reading.  At  all  *\  ents, 
I  am  in  the  Lord's  school.  He  will  teach  me,  in  his 
good  time,  all  that  I  require  to  know. 

To  the  service  of  this  all-merciful  God  I  wish, 
from  this  time,  to  devote  myself.  Redeemed  by  the 
blood  of  Christ,  all  my  desire  is  to  live  for  him,  and 
to  die  in  him ;  happy  if  1  can  see  my  husband  and 
children  partakers  of  the  same  faith.  I  have  read  a 
passage  on  this  head,  which  fills  me  with  hope  ;  it  is 
the  reply  of  St.  Paul  to  the  jailer  of  Philippi :  "  Be- 
lieve on  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  and  thou  shalt  be 
saved,  and  thy  house,"  Acts  xvi.  31.  Unite  with  me 
sir,  in  imploring  the  grace  of  God  upon  my  house. 
20* 


CONCLUDING  ADDRESS  TO  THE  READER. 


The  subject  of  the  work  which  you  have  just  read 
is  a  fiction  ;  but  a  fiction  formed  of  real  details.  The 
words,  the  facts,  here  and  there  cited  in  this  book, 
are  all  true.  Lucilla,  Mr.  Mercier,  the  Abbe  himself, 
are,  with  the  exception  of  the  names,  and  of  a  few 
circumstances,  historical  and  still  living  personages. 
Whatever  may  be  the  case  with  the  means  I  have 
employed  to  attract  your  attention,  the  end  I  have 
had  in  view  is  most  important :  it  is  to  induce  you  to 
read  the  Bible. 

You  may,  perhaps,  remember  the  following  fact  in 
the  life  of  St.  Augustine  God  had  begun  to  speak 
to  his  heart,  by  the  conversion  of  Alipus,  his  friend 
and  old  companion  in  pleasure  ;  but  he  still  wavered 
between  the  service  of  Christ  and  the  slavery  of  sin  ; 
when  he  one  day  heard,  or  seemed  to  hear,  a  voice 
which  said  to  him,  Tolle,  et  lege,  "  Take,  and  read." 
He  obeyed ;  he  took  the  Bible ;  he  read,  and  he  be- 
lieved. Well,  dear  reader,  I  would  perform  for  you 
the  same  office,  as  did  this  friendly  voice ;  and  my 
desires  would  be  fulfilled,  if  you  would  take  leave  of 
my  little  book,  with  this  admonition  impressed  upon 
your  heart :  "  Take,  and  read." 

Nothing  is  easier  at  the  present  day ;  it  is  the  age 
of  the  Bible.     At  the  same  time  that,  translated  into 


CONCLUDING    ADDRESS.  235 

more  than  a  hundred  and  fifty  Languages,  it  is  spread 
from  one  end  of  the  world  to  the  other,  the  Bible  every 
where  penetrates,  in  our  towns  and  in  our  rural  dis- 
tricts, where  it  is  sold  at  a  low  price  by  bumble  col- 
porteurs. Is  it,  then,  a  law  in  our  poor  world,  that 
good  can  never  be  done  without  opposition  ?  Would 
not  one  think,  that  some  favor  raighl  be  hoped  lor  an 
enterprise  so  pure,  so  charitable,  so  evidently  dis- 
interested ?  But  no  :  there  have  been  found  men 
so  unhappy,  as  to  require  that  the  word  of  God 
should  remain  unknown  ;  and  who,  having  recourse 
to  means  worthy  of  their  cause,  have  not  feared  to 
utter  false  imputations  against  the  religious  societies, 
against  the  colporteurs,  against  their  very  books, 
which  they  have  accused  of  falsification.  This  ac- 
cusation, we  say  it  in  the  face  of  whoever  chooses  to 
hear  it,  is  an  odious  calumny,  which  they  have 
never  seriously  tried  to  prove,  and  which  they  never 
will  prove.  Respectable  ecclesiastics  have  them- 
selves done  justice  to  it;  witness  the  bishop  of 
Montauban,  whose  expressions  have  been  quoted 
word  for  word,  (p.  87,  88).  The  only  complaint  he 
makes  against  the  Bible  sold  by  the  colporteurs  bears 
upon  the  Old  Testament,  where  he  regrets  the  ab- 
sence of  some  books  which  the  Romish  church  has 
added  to  the  canon  of  the  primitive  church.  Well, 
do  what  this  pious  bishop  authorized  the  people  of 
his  diocess  to  do :  take  the  New  Testament,  the 
Testament  of  Sacy.  What  do  you  risk  ?  Begin  by 
this.  When  the  New  Testament  is  read,  you  will 
see  what  you  ought  to  do  for  the  Old  :  "  Take,  and 
read." 

Have  you  doubts  as  to  the  Divine  inspiration  of 
the  Scriptures  ?  Alas  !  there  would  be  nothing  as- 
tonishing in  this,  in  a  country  where  impiety  has  so 
long  reigned  under  the  usurped  name  of  philosophy, 
and  when  Voltaire  and  Rousseau  have,  pel  haps, 
been  among  the  first  authors   you  have  had  in  your 


236  CONCLUDING    ADDRESS 

hands.  Well,  if  you  have  doubts,  must  they  not  be 
cleared  up  ?  Are  you  so  determined,  so  enlightened 
in  your  incredulity,  that  it  is  useless  for  you  to  listen  to 
the  reasons  of  Christianity?  or  is  it  not  worth  while? 
If  it  were  true,  shall  we  tell  you,  with  the  Abbe 
Favien,  that  the  Bible  is  the  word  of  God,  as  so 
many  excellent,  so  many  gifted  men  have  thought  ; 
the  Pascals,  the  Fenelons,  the  Bossuets,  the  Mas- 
sillons  ?  If  it  were  true,  and  if  you  had  been  ignorant 
of  it  till  this  day,  and  if  it  only  required  a  little  at- 
tention on  your  part  to  be  convinced  of  it;  and  if  you 
would,  in  short,  examine  religion  and  its  proofs,  how 
could  you  do  it  better  than  by  taking  it  at  its  source, 
and  by  reading  this  book,  which  by  every  one's  con- 
fession, is  the  foundation  of  the  Christian  faith? 
"  Take,  and  read." 

But  if  you  are  so  happy  as  to  believe,  if  the  Bible 
is  in  your  eyes  an  inspired  book,  what  shall  prevent 
you  from  reading  it,  in  order  to  learn  for  yourself 
which  is  the  way  of  salvation  ?  If  you  have  not  read 
the  only  book  in  the  world  that  has  come  from  God, 
how  can  you  know  the  doctrine  of  God,  and  the  will 
of  God,  with  that  firm  assurance  which  is  so  neces- 
sary in  order  to  live  well,  and  to  die  Mrell  ?  Others 
will  seek  it  for  you,  perhaps  you  say  ?  But  can  you 
impose  upon  others  the  care  of  your  salvation  ?  This 
would  be  to  forget  your  privileges  as  a  Christian,  and 
your  dignity  as  a  man  ;  this  would  be  to  alienate  a 
sacred  right,  which  is,  at  the  same  time,  a  duty.  The 
faith  which  saves  cannot  be  received  by  a  substitute  ; 
and  we  cannot  go  to  heaven  by  proxy.  And  if  those 
to  whom  you  intrust  your  soul  should  mislead  you  ? 
If  they  deceive  themselves  ?  What !  you  must  re- 
ject an  apostle,  an  angel,  if  he  announce  a  new 
gospel ;  and  you  receive  a  gospel  ready-made,  on 
the  faith  of  human  guides,  without  consulting  the 
word  of  God  ?  O,  my  friends  !  I  would  not  wound 
your  feelings ;    but  you  are  aware  of  the  power  of 


TO    THE    READER.  .  237 

habit,  and  of  prejudice.  Beware  of  the  prejudices  of 
childhood.  The  strangest  errors,  when  imbibed  with 
our  mother's  milk,  may  become  to  us  a  second  na- 
ture. Know,  then,  by  what  way  you  are  led  ;  and 
allow  not  others,  without  your  concurrence,  to  dispose 
of  your  eternal  condition.     "Take,  and  read." 

Perhaps  you  will  charge  him  who  writes  to  you 
with  a  spirit  of  proselytism.  He  wants  you  to  leave 
the  Romish  church,  to  become  a  Protestant.  I  want 
but  one  thing ;  it  is  the  salvation  of  your  soul.  The 
important  point  is  not  the  name  you  bear,  but  the 
state  of  your  heart ;  "  for  the  Lord  pondereth  the 
hearts,"  Prov.  xxi.  2.  When  we  shall  appear,  you 
and  I,  before  the  judgment  seat  of  Christ,  he  will  not 
ask  us  if  we  have  been  Catholic  or  Protestant ;  but 
he  will  ask  us,  if  we  have  believed  in  him — if  we 
have  loved  him — if  we  have  served  him,  upon  earth. 
Provided  you  become  a  faithful  disciple  of  the  Lord, 
I  am  content.  Should  your  change  remain  all  your 
life  long  a  secret  between  God  and  you,  I  am  con- 
tent. Doubtless,  the  name,  the  position,  the  church, 
are  not  to  be  lightly  chosen,  or  even  lightly  retained. 
To  say  that  a  man,  who  has  acknowledged  that  the 
church  in  which  he  was  born  is  not  the  true  church 
of  Christ,  ought,  nevertheless,  to  remain  in  it,  because 
he  was  born  there,  is  to  support  a  fatal  prejudice,  to 
wThich  indifference  alone  could  have  given  birth,  and 
which  would  have  kept  the  Jews  in  their  synagogues, 
and  the  Gentiles  in  paganism.  But  begin  by  be 
coming  good  Christians,  and  the  truth  will  do  the 
rest.     "  Take,  and  read." 

My  country !  the  religion  of  the  Bible  is  the  only 
one  thou  hast  not  tried.  No ;  the  doctrine  of  Jesus 
Christ,  in  all  its  simplicity,  and  such  as  it  is  found  in 
his  word,  thou  hast  not  yet  known.  Among  us,  the 
number  of  its  disciples  is  only  few ;  but  they  would 
wish  to  be  for  thee  like  the  "little  leaven,  which 
leaveneth  the  whole  lump."     The  secrets,  in  search 


238  .        CONCLUDING    ADDRESS 

of  which  thou  hast  vainly  consumed  thyself  for  so 
many  years, —the  secret  of  order  with  liberty — the 
secret  of  solid  prosperity — the  secret  of  public  virtue 
— thou  wilt  find  them  all  in  the  Bible,  because  thou 
wilt  there  find  the  first  secret  on  which  they  all  de- 
pend, that  of  salvation.  Oh  !  if  the  Bible  could  serve 
as  a  guide  to  every  individual,  to  every  family,  and 
to  the  whole  nation,  what  a  happy  change!  What 
purity  of  manners  !  what  gentleness  of  mind  !  what 
family  peace  !  what  wisdom  in  education  !  what  jus- 
tice in  governors  !  what  submission  in  the  governed  ! 
The  primitive  church  of  Jerusalem,  where  reigned 
unexampled  charity,  had  no  other  rule  than  the  word 
of  God.  Happy  the  day  when  this  Divine  rule  will 
become  that  of  entire  France  !  It  would  then  acquire 
a  new  glory  among  the  nations  :  it  would  not  be  that 
of  arms  ;  not  that  of  freedom  ;  nor  that  of  industry  : 
it  would  be  that  of  godliness.  But  because  "  godli- 
ness is  profitable  unto  all  things,  having  promise  of 
the  life  that  now  is,  and  of  that  which  is  to  come," 
1  Tim.  iv.  8 ;  this  glory  according  to  God,  more 
surely  than  every  precaution  of  human  prudence, 
would  cause  France  to  triumph  throughout  the  world. 
"  Take,  and  read." 

Priests  of  the  Romish  church  !  I  have  a  word  to 
say  to  you,  in  conclusion.  You  will  not  complain 
that  I  have  wronged  you  in  this  work.  The  priest 
who  represents  you  there,  is  a  man  of  piety,  modera- 
tion, and  perfect  honor  ;  and  the  reasons  which  I 
have  placed  in  his  mouth  are.  if  not  the  best  you 
could  have  given — it  is  here  I  feel  the  difficulty  of 
my  task — at  least  the  best  I  have  been  able  to  find. 
However  this  may  be,  I  conjure  you,  in  God's  name, 
by  the  salvation  of  the  souls  committed  to  your  care, 
by  your  own  salvation,  hinder  not  the  people  from 
reading  the  Bible.  I  know  that  there  are  among  you 
pious  ecclesiastics,  who  recommend  its  perusal  to 
their  parishioners  ;  but  they  are,  there  is  reason  to 


TO    THE    READER.  239 

believe,  a  small,  a  very  small  number.  What  !  the 
Bible  is  in  the  world,  ami  you  would  keep  it  from  the 
people!  and  you  would  place  yourselves  between 
them  and  the  warnings  of  the  Holy  Spirit!  and  yon 
would  aot  fear  the  terrible  anathema  which  the  Lord 
has  pronounced  against  those  teachers  who  have 
taken  away  the  key  of  knowledge,  and  hindered  men 
from  entering  in  '  Many  of  you  are  sincere,  I  am 
willing  to  believe  ;  it  would  be  too  awful  to  suppose 
the  contrary  ;  and  indeed  the  power  of  prejudice  is  so 
great,  that  it  can  account  for  even  this  inexplicable 
error.  But  by  what  argument,  by  what  sophism,  can 
you  then  persuade  yourselves,  that  you  labor  for  the 
conversion  of  souls,  by  taking  from  them  the  word 
of  God  !  You.  who  doubtless  read  this  word,  you 
cannot  be  ignorant  of  the  blessings  promised  to  those 
that  read  it;  of  the  praise  which  St.  Paul  bestows 
upon  it,  in  his  second  Epistle  to  Timothy ;  of  the 
approbation  given  to  the  Jews  of  Berea,  for  having 
done — what !  that  which  you  prevent  your  flocks 
from  doing  in  their  turn  !  How  dare  you  boldly  con- 
front such  direct  declarations  ?  Answer  me  :  when 
you  ascend  the  pulpit,  to  exhort  your  hearers  not  to 
procure  the  word  of  Christ ;  or  when  you  penetrate 
into  a  house,  to  carry  away  this  treasure,  does  not 
your  heart  fail  you  ?  does  not  your  voice  falter  ? 
does  not  your  hand  tremble  ?  And  when  you  lie 
down  to  sleep  at  night,  the  remembrance  that  you 
have  prevented  some  one  from  reading  the  Holy 
Scriptures,  does  it  say  nothing  to  your  conscience  ? 
Ah  !  if  you  have  no  pity  for  your  (locks,  have  pity  on 
yourselves!  Be  faithful.  If  yon  have  not  sufficient 
courage,  sufficient  piety,  to  recommend  the  reading 
of  the  Bible,  at  least,  do  not  oppose  it.  Allow  the 
Lord  to  work  ;  and  until  you  can  be  "  workers  to- 
gether with  him,"  beware  of  doing  the  work  of  the 
great  adversary. 

Moreover,  "  the  Lord  reigneth  ;"  and  he  will  know 


240  CONCLUDING    ADDRESS. 

how  to  give  glory  to  his  word.  Consent,  or  resist 
truth  will  have  its  course,  to  the  confusion  of  its  van- 
quished enemies,  but  to  the  glory  and  the  eternal  joy 
of  all  those  who  have  devoted  their  efforts  to  promote 
its  triumph. 


THE    END. 


BS530.M753 

Lucilla,  or,  The  reading  of  the  Bible 

Princeton  Theological  Semmary-Speer  Librar 


1    1012  00037  7616 


